


The New Flame of Hope (FF Reupload)

by ArchSinccubus



Category: RWBY
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adventure, Canon Continuation, Drama, F/F, Post-Volume 3 (RWBY)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-14 12:19:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 68
Words: 289,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9181327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchSinccubus/pseuds/ArchSinccubus
Summary: So... Welcome to my first fic ever! This is, in fact, the first piece of work I've ever made, now ported directly from FF.net.Either way... I hope you all enjoy! I am truly proud of this fic, and hopefully the AO3 crowd will love it too.Original summery: Vale has fallen, and hope is now a fleeting thing amongst those who still fight. But in the shadows of a new age of death, a lone huntress reignites her flame of hope and goes on a journey to find her friends, save her world, and learn the truth beyond humanity's fate. Slight Bumblebee & White Rose intended, so read at your own discretion





	1. Yang Reginited

It's been four months since the fall of Vale.

Yang Xiao Long, once promising huntress in training, sat in her small room on her bed, wearing nothing more than a simple orange tee-shirt and some panties, reading a book about dust and the many legends surrounding it. She read it, paragraph after paragraph, but to her, its contents didn't really matter. With her right arm gone, her sister, Ruby, heading out to god knows where, on some reckless adventure to find out the higher forces that were in play in the attack that ruined their home kingdom of Vale, as well as Beacon Academy, where they trained to become huntresses, and her father, Tai yang, becoming more and more protective of her, out of guilt of not being able to stop her younger sister from leaving, Yang had become desperate to find any means of escape from her fresh new reality. On top of that, with the Cross Continental Transit tower in Vale gone, taking the ability to contact the outside world with it, the only thing left to divert Yang's mind from the impending depression was the book she found in her house. In time, Yang developed a sort of thirst for knowledge, and seeing as she figured she was probably never going to fight again, the single, most precious aspect of her life, taken away from her, she decided she could at least learn a thing or two about the world, and at least try and do something,  _anything_ even remotely productive with her life.

"Hey." Her father knocked on her door. "Can I come in?"

Yang didn't say anything back. Most of the time, she refused to talk outright, having nothing left to say anymore.

"...I brought you some more books." He asked again.

"...Fine." She finally answered. She heard a loud  _thud_  and saw her father open up the door, and picking up a large number of books, in all colors and sizes, and placing them next to her bed. While recovering, both physically and mentally, Yang barely left the bed, let alone her own room, with the exception of at least coming down, to eat.

She picked up one of the books, having finished up the last one, and tried to lose herself within it's pages. This one, like others, was about the many legends that surrounded their world. In an ironic twist, although Remnant had plenty of legends one could read and learn from, actual history about the far off past was very scarce. Nonetheless, Yang pushed on, on one hand having lost everything she had, and on the other not having the strength to pull the trigger. She was soul crushed, and beaten, but at the very least, she liked to believe she could find something to do with her crippled life.

 _I just can't accept it._  She thought to herself and put the book down as she felt another wave of depression wash over her.

_...Why me? What did I do wrong to deserve this..._

_...Is it fate? Destiny? Does any of this even MEAN anything anymore?..._

Her lingering thought diverted her attention to the stump that used to be her right arm, and to her weapon, the Ember Celica, or at least the remaining item from the pair, that sat on the small shelf next to her bed.

 _I can't stand it anymore... I've tried to be strong, tried to fight on and rise above even this, but I can't... It's all pointless. Ruby... Weiss..._ The names of her teammates were the next to come up.

Ruby, her little sister, ran away from home a few short months after the failed battle to protect Vale, with their other friends, Jaune, Nora, and Ren, in a desperate gambit to try to uncover the truth behind the person that almost single-handedly ruined their lives: Cider fall.

Weiss Schnee, the next in line of the prestigious Schnee name from Atlas, was quickly hurried home by her father, even under some protest from her side. By now, Yang figured that Weiss must be living the good life a rich, spoiled little girl like her would live.

Yang's mind quieted down for a brief second, before she allowed the last member of their disbanded team to come up.

_Blake..._

The black haired faunus came to her thought again, and Yang's depression turned to anger in almost an instant.

 _SHE JUST RAN!_ The emotions flowed freely through her.  _AFTER SHE PROMISED SHE WOULD STAY, AND FIGHT, SHE ABANDONED ALL OF US!_ Yang's lilac eyes slowly shifted to blood red, the color they take when her semblance would cause her to be consumed with rage. She felt herself warm up and the heat started to radiate from her long, flowing hair, before finally, she began to sob, and fell to her bed.

_I want to change this. Get another chance!_

She said to herself one last sentence before her consciousness faded, and she fell to the nightmarish world of her dreams.

_I can't live in a reality where I am completely worthless..._

Another day in her special little hell.

* * *

Most nights, she would have the same, vicious nightmares of that fateful night, when she and her friends each fell with their kingdom, and everything went to shit. There she stood, at the entrance of that ruined building, fire all around her, as Blake laid on the floor, helpless. Above her, stood the man who would act as her executioner: Adam Taurus.

From there, the same series of images repeat themselves: She becomes enraged, prepares her Ember Celicas, while her semblance fuels her with power, and she charges at Adam, head on. He, without missing a single, beat, turns to her, and with one, swift motion, he slices her arm right off. Even though it was but a dream, she could still feel the unbearable pain, and soon, the same events repeated themselves in her mind. Each time, Yang believed she tried to alter the course of time, coming from different angles or pumping herself even harder, but in the end, the same result always occurred, and she flew to the floor, motionless, as the dream reset, and it all happened again.

Around the fifth time this happened this night, Yang became desperate. Of course, the threads of fate could not be altered, and once again, she tried to power herself up, maybe, this time, it would be enough. She could feel each muscle in her body squirm in pain, and she dashed at Adam's vision, only to be punished again with the same result.

But this time, something was different.

Yang had no idea how the suggestion came to her mind. Perhaps it was the books that she read, perhaps just a wild vibe of her imagination, coupled with her inability to move on, and yet, it happened: Just as Adam was done cutting her arm, and he turned to Blake, in order to finish her off, Yang felt a surge of power, coming out of nowhere. She looked at her right arm, as the stump began to glow, and out of it, golden crystal came through, forming itself in the shape of her lost limb. Yang, amazed with the change to the scenario, landed on her feet this time, and clutched her dream arm, filling power coming from it. She dashed at Adam, and with one, clear punch, she sent the man through the wall, finally banishing the nightmare demon from her sleep. She looked at Blake, and her anger melted, as she picked up the faunus in her own two arms, and walked away, fading into the whiteness of the daylight outside.

* * *

Yang sprang up, and sat up on her bed, the dream of last night still vivid as the day in her eyes. It all felt so real and liberating, she could almost feel the new arm, but alas, when she looked, nothing was there, but a severed limb, and bandages. However, the dream did bring up a fascinating question: Where DID it come from? Yang decided to look at the books she read last night, perhaps finding something there that would explain this phenomenon to her. She took one of the books, primarily about dust, and flipped through its pages, looking for something that would hint her on the origins of the rogue thought, until finally, the stories began to pile up: One after another, she read legends about people, usually in a sickly state, who were all cured by one, simple this: Dust. Though the methods described were many, in each one, the person in question would somehow inject dust directly into his or her own body, and from there, the dust would help them, guide them on their path, and ultimately, cure them. Yang didn't even finish reading them all the way, getting excited by the sheer notion that this was a possibility. True, she was never a scholar, or someone of many words, but even Yang knew that every legend had to begin SOMEWHERE, and if so many of them were referring to the same thing, then there had to be some truth to it. As far as she knew, implementing dust was a sort to taboo subject amongst the people of Remnant, and no one spoke of it much, let alone dared to attempt it. But Yang was out of options, and she wanted her arm back, now more than ever. Thanks to Vale's ruined state, and the loss of communication with the other kingdoms and medical surgeons, getting Yang a robotic prostatic was nigh impossible. Airships stopped coming to Vale's ruins, as it became evident that the other kingdoms were content letting whatever left of the kingdom crumble. On top of that, the island of Patch, on which they lived, was barely of any importance to receive any special care that the main kingdom didn't get.

But now she had a different way to re-obtain her lost arm. If the storied were indeed true, and the more she read about them, the more she convinced herself that they were, that would mean that all she needed was dust, and she could theatrically make her new arm, and regain her lost strength. Sure, the idea seemed utterly ludicrous, and literally every piece of legend she found about the matter ended in tragedy, but Yang just didn't care anymore.

She didn't have anything to lose.

She got out of her bed, and went outside to a hallway, looking for a father. After a short while of searching, she finally found the man outside, clearing some of the winter snow from the entrance of the house, and she opened up the door, and stepped outside into the outside. The afternoon breeze hit her face, and for the first few seconds, the entire thing felt a little weird to her, having not exited the house in months. Either way, she couldn't stand back anymore, and walked up to her father, while he was busy with the snow shovel.

"Hey, dad?"

Tai yang jumped back a bit, and looked at his daughter, his face showing both surprise, and a second later some pride, seeing her gather enough courage to go out of the house.

"Y-Yes, sweetie?" He asked her, his voice hiding a hint of worry. Deep inside, the man was gravely concerned for his second daughter Ruby, seeing as he had not a clue to her whereabouts, and while he also cared greatly for Yang, he felt and looked as though on some level, he had failed to protect her.

 _Now that I think about it, where DID Ruby go exactly?_ Ruby kept her little plan mostly under wraps, not even telling Yang anything. One morning, she was just gone, and Yang only managed to get a last glimpse of her through the window, as she walked away with her friends into the unknown, actually doing something with her life instead of wallowing in her own wounds.

"Well, I just wanted to ask." She hid a devilish smile beneath her innocent looking face. "Do we have any more informative book about dust in the house?"

Tai yang blinked for a moment, and closed her eyes, thinking.

"Uhh... Should be some in the basement. Why?"

"Just because." Yang shrugged innocently. "I just want to learn a little, you know?"

"Well, that's great sweetie." Her reasoning was vague as hell, but Tai yang didn't care. He was just happy his daughter found something to do in her current state. Tai yang picked up another pile of snow, and stuck the shovel in the ground, turning to her fully. "But I do have to ask: Please, be careful. Dust is a powerful thing, you know. I don't want you tampering with the stuff, okay?"

"Okay, okay." Yang tried to hug her father. "What could I possibly do at the moment, anyway?" She got why her father was so protective of her, but give her some credit; it's not like she was always helpless.  _No._ Yang thought to herself as she walked towards the house, to gather every book on dust she could find.  _I'm actually better than this!_

_I'm not done yet in this world!_

* * *

As always, Yang began in legends. They were always the easiest for her to understand, and reading scientific books always seemed to bore her to the level of not being able to finish half of them. Nonetheless, the calculative aspect of dust was just as important, and thus, she dedicated some of her time for those types of books as well. The tales she read stretched into times unknown, when no one could either validate, nor deny them.

 _Dust, huh?..._ Like many others, Yang knew the legends: Man, born from dust, was strong, wise, and resourceful. From there, many versions existed, and yet, like the stories of dust infusion, they all began in a similar fashion. This intrigued Yang, and she delved even further into the issue, a single question popping up in her mind.

_If we were born of dust, then WHY? Why does no one do it? It should be like second nature..._

Yang burrowed deeper into the wells of knowledge in her room, and for a while, she could feel something that she never thought she'd feel before: Curiosity. Now, that fighting was out of the option, like compensating for blindness of another lost sense, her mind opened up, and she absorbed the words, and while it was hard in the beginning, in the end, she succeeded to grasping their meaning. Before Yang knew it, a whole wee had passed, and in that time, she tore through almost all the books she had, and soon, she would have to ask her dad to get her more. There were even times that she managed to forget about the pain flowing from her right side...

Other than that, Yang started doing excursive again. She quickly realized that if she wasn't in peak, physical condition, this whole thing might fall apart, and she needed her body to be ready, as much as she could. Due to her asymmetrical body, it was actually quite tough to do proper fitness that required the use of her hands, but Yang pushed on, hanging on what had become her one, last shot at being able to face the world again. Within a few, short weeks from there, her body's fat toned down, and her muscles had developed closer and closer to their former peak. She was nowhere nearly as strong as she needed to be, but nonetheless, she knew there was still time.

* * *

One day, her father finally had enough: Even since Yang had begun with her newfound obsession with books, she would constantly read about them, from dusk 'till dawn. At first, he was proud that she found a subject that fascinated so, like any father would, but still, doubt began to gnaw at the edges of his mind. Yang was NEVER the learner type. In fact, she always loathed books and lessons in general. And yet, now of all times, he found her reading of all things, and every time he tried to get some answers from her about her reasons, she would brush it off as some temporary fascination, and today, he was not going to have that shit anymore. He came up to her room and knocked on the door sternly.

"Yeah dad?" Yang put down the book she was reading, and exited the bed, opening the door for her father, who came in, and sat on a chair next to the bed, inviting Yang to sit down as well. "What is it?" She tried to act as naive as possible, but to her misfortune, he saw right through her act.

"Yang, I have to know." He began "Why, of all the subjects that you chose to invest your time in, did you choose DUST? You know how dangerous those crystals could be, and never in your life had you shown such passion to learning. So why now? And why dust?"

Yang felt that at this moment, hiding the truth might be a lot more difficult, but she had to. If she told her father what her plans were, he would probably label her crazy, and besides trying to talk her out of it, take away all the books she had.

"I just want to learn about our world, okay?" She tried to come up with a plausible excuse. "After what happened in Vale, I realized I was probably never going to fight again, dad. At the very least, I want to know a little more about the forces that move our world, why is THAT such a problem?"

"Because I don't want you to do something foolish, dear. This books can teach you a lot of things, but most of the ones we have in our house are battle and combat oriented. I don't want you fighting anymore, Yang." He paused for a second before opening his mouth a second time. "I don't want you to end up like Summer."

"Than what was different between then and now?! You never thought about me like this!" Yang became angry with him. She couldn't believe her ears, especially now of all times.  _How could he say that?! He knows how strong I was, and he never acted this protective before, so what is-_

She then saw her father starting to sob quietly, before larger tears began to fall from his face, and he hugged her, crying softly.

"Because you already suffered enough!" Tai yang shouted at her. "When you lost your arm, I realized how fragile life could be. Both you and Ruby fought so hard, and yet, look at what happened to you! I won't stand for this Yang. I wanted to keep you both safe and protect you, but before I could do anything Ruby just got up and left."

He kept silent for a moment. Ruby was precious to him, as well as for Yang, but still, she went away on her little adventure.

"She never even said goodbye..." He sobbed while holding her. "I don't want to see you go too, Yang..."

Yang couldn't say anything. She did understand him, really, she did. But she still couldn't accept it, not now, that she knew about the possibility of what dust can do. She couldn't just pass up the opportunity to join her sister and her friends in this fight any longer, and while she didn't want to give her father a mini heart attack, she knew what she had to do. She hugged her dad firmly, letting her warmth surround him, and the two looked at each other, and she saw that in his eyes, he was just so worried and scared.

"It's been hard, on both of us dad, but I can't stay here, hiding forever from the rest of the world." She took a deep breath, deciding on revealing some of the truth to him, at least enough to help him realize she was not the little girl he had started to think she was. "Dad, I've been lying to you about something as to why I was reading about dust: I DO want to fight back."

"But Yang..." Tai yang couldn't believe his ears. If those were Yang's true intentions, that would mean that eventually, she would leave him as well. Something in that line of thought caused to tremble internally with fear, and he turned to her. "No! I won't allow it! You are too hurt to be in any condition to go out there." He decreed. Yang's eyes turned red again, and he saw traces of her biological mother burning in them.

"WHY?!" She yelled. "What happened to the proud father I used to have? The badass that taught me my very first moves and styles? Who introduced me to the world of huntsmen and huntresses?"

"He realized that you already escaped death ONCE. And that kindness won't likely happen again." He said with a gruff.

"But I can't do this anymore. I want to be out there, I want to fight and help my friends! This is my battle just as much as it is theirs! I can't just be like a bird in a cage anymore..."

"But how could you fight in-"

"I'll find a way." Yang cut him, and said determinedly. It was a white lie, as she already had a method in mind, but she couldn't tell him now. While she herself couldn't care much for taboos and things of that sort, or how other would view her life choices and ways, she didn't want her father to worry so much right now and try and stop in another fit of self-pity and fear.  _Maybe after I'm done_. She thought to herself.  _After that, things will be better._

"Well," Tai yang said hesitantly, and cleared his throat. "Alright Yang. if you really want to learn so much, I won't stop you, and help you in any way I can. But please, promise me. Promise me you won't take to too hard on yourself and hurt yourself in the process."

"I promise." Said yang, giving a deep sigh. Emotional talks were never her thing, and having one with her father was both awkward and tiring. She looked out the window, and saw the shattered moon shine from above, and for a brief second, she could have sworn she felt a small surge of power within her.

"Well, goodnight, Yang." Her father gave her one last hug, and left the room, closing the light on the way out. She put the book on the shelf to her side, and fell to her bed, lying and staring out the window at the ball of whiteness that shone high above her. She held on to the small feeling from before, and while she still had a lot of work ahead of her, none of she assumed was going to be easy, Yang was sure about one, simple thing.

She was filled with hope again. And this time, she was going to burn all the way.


	2. Of Dust And Men

After finishing the last book for the day, Yang reviewed what she learned in the past five and a half weeks: She now understood the nature of dust and dust crystals better than ever, and more than that, she even started sketching some designs for her new arm, though it's really hard to write, let alone draw anything with her left hand. She figured that she'll just have to get used to it for now. Most likely, she had a lot more to learn in order to accomplish her new goal, but it didn't matter to her at that point. She wanted her arm back, and now that she believed she could get it back they will have to drag her ass all the way to hell to stop her. There was just one big problem.

Where in the name of Remnant was she going to get enough dust for this?

As Yang thought about where could she gather enough dust for her little operation, she realized something: Her father may be inactive, so to speak, but he was still a huntsman. A huntsman with a weapon that required maintenance, and dust, to keep fully functional and ready in case of an emergency.

Yang waited until it was night to sneak out her room. She went by her father's room, and heard him snarl in his sleep. _I guess I'm not the only one with nightmares..._ she thought.

It took her a while, but eventually she found Terra Breaker, her dad's war-hammer stashed in some corner of the house. When she investigated it a bit more, she found dust, and a lot of it, Among other things, such as oil cans, wrenches and screwdrivers, sandpaper and a lot of other tools and gizmos. Hell, she had a small workshop in front of her. Some of it looking brand new even. _I guess even times like this dad just can't leave his weapon without care, huh?_

Yang did a quick inventory of the dust crystals in front of her: 18 blue, 11 white, 20 red and a whopping 45 Orange, which was good since that was mainly the type she needed for the arm. From her brief studies, she learned that every type of dust had its own elemental orientation. All of them except orange dust, which was completely neutral, which was perfect for her plans. She needed something that would be as stable as possible, while not losing the advantages dust has to offer. She opted for orange, due to the fact that it might not be the strongest or the most condensed type of dust out there, but it clearly was the most stable. If she had a lien for each time she saw one of those red fire-elemental dust crystals explode for, like, no reason whatsoever, she would a very rich woman. She just needed to figure out how the play out about 40 crystals of dust just disappearing overnight without a trace. In the end, she figured she'll cross that bridge when she got to it. She took a medium sized bag and filled it with the crystals, which was no easy feat to do with just one arm, and carried it to her room, to hide somewhere.

About four more hours, she woke up to her father screaming.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!"

She figures he'll notice sooner or later, but not this soon. _Well, that bridge has come, time to pass it. Thanks, past Yang, for coming up with such an ingenious excuse for explaining the mystery of the missing dust crystals._ She could have sworn she heard a 'You're welcome.' From her past self, but that would just be silly.

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!"

God, why did he have to shout so loud?

Yang got dressed quickly and went downstairs, where she saw her father, clearly pissed, standing near his mini - workshop desk thing, waiting for her.

"Yang, did you take some of my dust crystals?"

"Why would I even know there were dust crystals in there, and even if I did, why in Grimm's name would I take them? It's not like I have any particular use for them anyway."

"If I recall, you were the one that said she wanted to fight again. Besides, you read about dust almost all the time lately." Tai yang's voice sounded a bit inquisitive. "So, be honest Yang, did. you. take. my. dust. crystals."

"No, I did not! and besides, I told you. All that reading about dust is just because I wanted to know about it a little better! And come on, I know what I said, but I can't do much right now, right?! What the hell would I do with so much dust!" Yang got a little angry. "Hell, maybe a thief broke in or something, I don't know."

"Really Yang, A thief? Even on Patch, we're in the middle of nowhere. Why would anyone come here?"

"I. Don't. Know." Yang tried to breathe again to calm herself. She started practicing that technique shortly after she got home from the battle at Beacon. At first, she was always raging and mad because of Blake's abandonment of her and the loss of her arm and ability to fight properly, or at all in this case, since her father barely lets her out of the house now. Eventually, he taught her how to breathe and channel her aura, the manifestation of her soul, in order to calm herself down and not always go balls to the wall furious and burn everything around her. She calmed down a bit and continued.

"Maybe you lost some of it on the way here when you bought it?"

"I guess that's possible, But it is really strange, though." Tai yang paused for a moment. "But I guess that maybe I didn't notice the weight difference because of all the snow on me at the time. Still, you don't just lose almost 40 crystals in a single moment, Yang. If I find you had something to do with it, I swear you not leaving this house will be the least of your troubles."

"Okay dad, I know." She tried to smile a bit, and for some reason her mouth wouldn't obey her will. She just stood there as her dad went out in the snow to look for a bag of crystals, if it wasn't scavenged already. After Vale fell, a lot of supplies and recourses from other kingdoms stopped coming. Food became scarce, mostly because of no one was daring to set foot outside of their own lands or houses, and a lot of people in the region resorted to theft and mugging to get by. Some people would still be brave enough to open shop and try to live life regularly, but it was truly hard at this point. Luckily for Yang though, her father still had connections with the people who used to work at Beacon, and through this, they manage to get supplies to continue living. Besides her uncle Qrow, they were visited by Professor Ozpin's assistant, Glynda Goodwitch a couple of times. Sometimes she would visit Yang and talk to her about getting adjusted to her new condition and that they are pursuing Adam Taurus, and also that Ozpin is still missing. She always tried to sound like the Glynda she knew at Beacon: Calm, reassuring and knowing what to do, but here and there Yang could hear a crack in her voice, especially when it came of Ozpin. Honestly, things are pretty bleak at the moment, but Yang didn't care anymore. She knew what she had to do, and she would do anything to complete her plan.

The following weeks started to have a certain form: During the day, she would read books and secretly train herself while her father was out of the house, and during the night she would work on the dust crystals and learn how to reshape them. From her fresh new experience, grinding the crystals was the easy part. After all, that's what those crystals were in essence: Dust. But after grinding a few of them, she found that reforging them was way harder than it looked. The books she got talked about ancient dust forging techniques and used aura in order to compress the dust in the wanted shape, but in today's Remnant, those methods became obsolete, replaced by the innovations of the Schnee dust company, Who found newer and more efficient ways to compress dust into crystals. As much as she hated to admit it, Weiss did know her stuff, and she knew it well, especially when it came to the subject of dust and its many uses. She would have benefited from listening to one of Weiss' many famous ramblings about how much her family knows the subject and the many lectures she gave about it to her teammates, if only Weiss wasn't such a tight-ass. In the end, Yang opted to compress the dust back using her own aura. She figured it would give it a better feel. After all, she was about to attach this thing to her body at some point, so it might as well have some of her flowing through it already. All the while, her mood was starting to get better. She even went back to her horrible puns here and there, much to the dismay of her dad. She was finally starting to move on from the past and embrace the future.

It was a cold winter night, and Yang was hard at work on her secret project. She was getting steadily better at this, and the even decided to try to start forging the actual arm out of more than one crystal at the same time, which she figured wouldn't be that hard now, seeing as she already did it before with single crystals.

She was wrong.

Tai yang was sleeping soundly. It was a quiet sleep, not plagued with nightmares, which, though seldom happened lately, was a welcome respite from the horrors of his sleep. And he would have liked to keep it that way.

_BOOM!_

Tai yang jumped from his bed as though he just awoke unto a battlefield. His reflexes a bit dull since his prime, but still sharp enough, told him it came from Yang's room. With the speed only known to champion athletes and Ruby he rushed to see what happened. He practically kicked the door open to see Yang, holding the remaining Ember Celica in her hand, covered in dust.

"Yang, are you okay?! what in the name of Grimm happened here?!"

A slightly dazed Yang coughed slightly and look at him. "Sorry dad, I couldn't sleep, so I decided to tinker with my weapon for a bit, and tried to use my new knowledge to temper with Ember Celica's ammunition. But I guess that's what happens when you do it with only one arm..."

Her father stared at her for what felt like an hour.

"Well, I'll be taking THAT." he said, grabbing the weapon from Yang's hand in one swift motion.

"Hey!"

"Sorry missy but I won't allow you to do anything rash and stupid in your current state. I know you want to fight back, but for dust's sake, you're just not ready yet." He said as he went to the door "I'll be giving this back to you when I think you are ready to fight again. And no more dust 'tempering' okay?"

Yang pouted slightly. "Okay dad. Okay."

 _That was a close one. Too close._ A moment after the explosion, Yang had about a second to grab her remaining Ember Celica and pretend to play with its ammo. She knew her father would come check on her after that, but now that he took her weapon away, she had no more lifelines. The next time she going to try and fuse crystals together, she had to be either way more careful or read more about how those damned crystals worked. She could have sworn those things were just convoluted and confusing of purpose sometimes. Nonetheless, She decided to stop experimenting for now, and went back to reading. She had to find out why it didn't work. After all, it shouldn't be that hard in theory. After finishing the book she was reading and finding nothing useful, she went through her stash of written knowledge that she gathered during all that time from books that were in the house and some that her dad got her when he was outside on whatever business he did out there. She searched for something that might explain to her the subject better, and after a few minutes, she found a very old, dusty book with a dark red cover and nothing on the front but the title in gold letters.

_Of Dust And Men_

The way the book was presented made Yang curious. She carefully opened it and started to read. It didn't even have any into or index, jumping straight to the first chapter, which seemed to be about The way dust interacts with aura. _I don't know who wrote this thing, but I like her already._ Yang thought happily to herself. The last thing she wanted was another self-absorbed jerk of a writer that rambles for about half the book about how great they are, before actually diving to the contents the book was meant to show.

She didn't go to sleep and just went on reading, completely ignoring the fact that it was almost 4AM. She found the old tome to be very interesting, as the way in explained things was unorthodox at best: Instead to the usual route of equations and comparisons she was used to, Of Dust And Men just took old legends and myths about dust, and while not really trying to prove if they were real or not, did derive lessons from the book about dust. It also referred to its reader in the second person, which was really odd to read. It had a few sketches of people wielding or making dust crystals here and there, which Yang found to be a little unimportant, but either way she continued to read. Finally, around halfway through the book, she reached a chapter that told the tale of a man who tried to wield more dust than he could chew. In the end, he was killed by Grimm, but not before being covered by the dust's light. The book continued.

 _'Do you know why the man failed?'_ Yang paused to think about this question for bit before reading the answer. _'This man failed in his quest because he did not understand that like the blood in our veins, aura flows through us, never being the same twice. It changes, transforms, hardens or softens with time, and as we grow, it grows. To wield dust with perfection. One must be completely aware of his or herself, and know his aura the same way they know the back of their hand.'_

Yang was breathless. She could only stop at that moment to do nothing but think. All this time, they were taught to channel their aura for various reasons, but how much did the people of remnant know about it anyway? She never questioned this, but now that it was on her mind it wouldn't let go. She went to sleep while pondering this new information.

And the dream she had only served to enlighten her.

Yang's didn't have lucid dreams often. Usually she would wake up without any meaningful recollection of her dreams. But this time was different. She was aware of every minute, every second that passed. She saw all the information she gathered in her mind lay before her like a puzzle, and all she had to was solve it. But the pieces were scattered, misshapen and would not align no matter how much she tried. But then, she found a small piece amongst them: A tiny, red piece. She tried putting it somewhere, and all of a sudden it fitted everywhere: The connections between dust and aura, the effect of it on the body, the impact her will had on all of this, the puzzle was practically solving itself. Before she knew it, she managed to fathom information that veteran hunters had trouble even grasping.

Yang woke up in an instant. She remembered everything she saw. She hurried and took the closest piece of paper and pen available and began to document all of it. When she was done, the information was clear in her head, and she knew one thing: She was ready to go on.


	3. An Arm of Dust

On the outside, nothing seemed to have changed much: Yang would still read books by the day, and work on her dust arm at night, unbeknownst to her father. However, now she acted with a much clearer resolve, for now, she understood that in order to complete her dream, she would have to master herself first. It wasn't as hard as she imagined, mostly because she already had experience channeling aura before, but it was still challenging. She actually started meditating, something she never even considered before. No, when she was in Beacon, she could barely be alone. The very thought scared her at the time. She was always the more social one between her and her sister Ruby, and while Yang would go out and play with other kids or, usually, beat the crap out of them over something silly and minute, Ruby would sit inside and either play on her scroll or read weapon magazines. Now she was the one sitting all by herself, which at first felt alien to her and unwelcoming, and only for a few days. In the end, she found that by doing this, she could delve deeper into herself and look at her aura move. She studied it carefully, noting that with each movement of the muscles her aura moved accordingly, and each thought that passed through her mind affected it as well. She didn't do as much dust forging as she would have wanted, but eventually it was worth it. She was still advancing towards her goal in one way or another.

It was a relatively warm winter night. though at this point Yang guessed that spring was approaching and soon the weather would be a lot nicer too. But besides that, she felt she wanted to try again. Yes, her control wasn't perfect, but recently she became much more aware to how her aura moves, even in her everyday activities, like eating and bathing. It was truly amazing how that little book was right, for literally everything she did moved her aura inside her in a myriad of ways. But now she was ready to try and wield it to her whim. Yang grabbed two dust crystals but ground them to dust. she then scooped most of it onto her left hand and closed it. _Come on, Yang, focus .You can do it_ She tightened her mind and felt the aura flow to her hand. She then began to compress it, slowly but surely, while giving great care to how each speck of dust reacted to it. Every time her hand twitched involuntarily, she immediately counteracted this by shifting other parts of her body in order to keep the process as stable as possible. After a few minutes, she couldn't feel any lone specs of dust anymore in her hand. She carefully opened it, and there it was: Her first fusion of two dust crystals, fully solid. Yang was ecstatic. She was proud and happy. _I did it! I finally did it! Oh god this is amazing!_ A rush of thoughts poured into her mind and she grabbed the combined crystal, which had the shaped of her fist closed and put it with the rest of the crystals. Even though she succeeded, it was still very tiring to keep such a process stable and active for such a long time, but she knew that at least now she can start the real deal.

Over the next few day, Yang took measurements and drew: She needed her new arm to be as similar as possible to her left arm, except of course for being a mirror image shape wise. She took a large sheet of paper and put her arm on it. Using her aura and semblance, she started emanating heat until the paper churned slightly, but not enough to burn. At this point, she had enough control that such tricks were easy to her, and she joyfully removed her arm from the paper to see the blueprints of her left arm. she flipped the paper on its other side, and pseudo sketch showed her the mirror image of her arm. She took a pencil and started going over the lines, carefully drawing over the lines to create a more solid looking blueprint. It took her almost all day, mostly due to the fact the drawing with her left hand, while being easier than two months ago, was still pretty difficult for her to do, especially if she wanted to be precise in her movements. She even used her aura here and there to force her hand to stay put.

The next day, she started to shape the crystals according to her sketch. Since she could only so this when her father was asleep, she had little time to nap herself during the night. She resorted to cut some of her time reading or doing fitness during the day to sleep so she would be in peak condition to forge the dust, but it was taking a bit of a toll on her. She would go on doing this in a certain routine: First, she would grind a crystal or two, shape them to a spherical shape, depending on the size needed, and place it on the blueprint. She would then do the same with the next batch of crystals, but this after she was done she would place the previous shape on the floor, put the new piece on it, and then use her aura to grind the pieces against each other a bit, creating a thin layer of powdered dust between them, and then compress them with her hand until the pieces were combined to a longer cylinder. She intentionally created it bigger then what her arm would really be like, because she figured it would be easier to grind the proper nuances of a human arm later into it.

Eventually, she finished it. The arm looked clunky and blocky as hell, but he pieces were all there: The wider and bigger cylinders made up the main portion of the arm, leading to a plate representing the hand itself, to which she attached five smaller cylinders for each finger. She looked at her handy work and felt very proud of herself. She was almost done. Over the next few days, she would grind the crystal with great care, bit by bit. With each step, she made the seams between each piece more and more invisible. Then she carved the smaller niches of the palm and fingers. She even had to tape a magnifying glass to her head to see more closely where was she carving. After that, there was only one thing left to do: She took some of the remaining dust to forged it into two thin cylinders at a finger's length, which she attached to the lower end of the arm. From brief reading about human anatomy, she saw that the lower arm had two bones inside of it, rather than one, and figured it would be the easiest for her body to adapt to it if she used this as a principle to the insertion point. She even had a bit of extra dust lying around, so she used to create some spikes and attach them to the end of her arm, just because she thought it would look cool. Suddenly, she stopped and realized she actually had the space to think a bit about design and looks instead of just completing her arm. _I really have come a long way in such a short time, huh?_ Yang thought to herself and pondered what to do next. Now that the complete arm was sitting in front of her, all she had to do was attach it to her, but at the same time it filled her with fear: What if something went wrong? All this time, she didn't really practice inserting smaller crystals into her, thinking she would get to it eventually. _Well, eventually came, Yang. Now what are you going to do?_ Yang looked at the clock and saw how late it was. _Well, I guess I'll sleep for now and think about it in the morning._ She carefully hid her creation in her closet and went to bed.

Yang woke to an early spring morning. The snow was already half way into melting, and the trees started to grow green leaves again. She sat on her bed and thought about her new arm. _Do I just do it now? Wait for the perfect moment? God, I just don't know anymore..._ She was afraid, not that something would go wrong, but that nothing will happen at all. She read about it a lot of times, and she understood the theory. That old book she found a while ago was certainly reassuring she was correct, and now all she had to do was go for it. Yang took a deep breath, calmed her mind, and made up her decision: She was going for it now. _It's now or never._

Yang placed the arm on her bed and slowly took the bandages off her right arm. As she did, she saw that the skin hasn't managed to fully grow yet, which she figured could make it easier. Her heart pounded so hard she could clearly hear it.

She took the arm, positioned the bone cylinders to her wound, and pushed.

At first, it hurt like being bitten by a beowolf, but Yang clutched her mouth and held it in. then she noticed that the more she pushed, the more she the pain was numbing, and even more, being replaced with a warm feeling. The area started to glow faint orange as she continued, and before she knew it, the pain was completely gone. It felt almost neutral for her to do this, it even felt kind of nice. She continued, breathing slowly and syncing her aura with the dust until they pulsed with complete harmony. After a minute or two of pushing, the cylinders were completely inside of her. She felt them, but on the same time, she didn't. It was something she just couldn't explain. In the end, the arm portion itself touched the rest of her flesh. There was a slight hiss, and soon the two were one and the same. Yang could feel her arm back.

She tried to move her palm, and nothing happened.

Thoughts screamed at her to stop, that things went wrong. But beneath all of that, she heard a voice. Her voice. _Don't worry, just try again._

Yang made another movement with her finger, and this time the finger moved.

Yang was overjoyed. She jumped up and down, moving her new hand in all manner of directions, testing it to make sure everything was fine. She did spot a few tiny imperfections, which she immediately grinded away. Now that could actually feel it herself, she had a much clearer vision of where there was excess dust. Yang laughed and danced a bit, moving the arm's fingers and holding stuff in them, all of which felt as if she never lost her arm.

"Hey Yang, is everythi-" Tai yang suddenly entered her room, and his jaw fell to the floor with shock. Yang stood stiff, only just realizing that he could totally hear screams of joy, she instinctively covered her mouth with both her old arm and her new one. _Shit, now what am I going to say?_

When her father finally calmed down, he sat with her.

"Yang, can you explain what have you done?"

"I used dust to create a new arm for myself and then attached to myself." She didn't even stutter. "Now I can finally fight with everyone dad! This is what wanted for so long!"

"And I'm only going to guess where you got all that dust for this."

Yang swallowed her spit. _Shit, he remembered. I'm fucked._

Tai yang thought about the situation before he continued to talk. _What the hell has she done?! I can't believe she would do something so irresponsible and reckless! Now I have to deal with this as well?!_

"It was one thing stealing all that dust from me, Yang, but lying too? I thought I taught you better than that." He said, clearly disappointed at her. "And do you have any idea what long term ramifications could, THIS" He pointed at the crystal "have?"

"Listen, dad" Yang opened her mouth, but her father silenced her.

"No. You listen. What you have done to yourself is both foolish and borderline insane, Yang. No one in any piece of history that I ever heard of even came close to this, and for now, I'm just glad you aren't injured, or worse." He paused for a moment to look at her. Even after that, he couldn't stay mad at her for long. He just loved her too much. He did understand why she did this, and he figures it was pretty obvious why she kept it a secret from him. But still, what was he supposed to do now?

They heard a bark from downstairs.

"Wait, is that Zwei?"

Zwei, the family's dog, was small and had a black back and white belly. He was also gone for a while now, and from what her dad told her, he followed Ruby shortly after she left on her journey, and he assumed he would just catch up to her and she will take of him for now. Hearing him bark was the last thing Yang and her dad expected.

"Yang, we'll continue this later. For now come with me and see why he came back."

"Okay dad, let's go."

Yang and Tai yang rushed downstairs to see a dirty, mud covered Zwei waiting for them in the foyer. To his neck, a red ribbon was tied, with what seemed like a latter. Yang came close, pet Zwei with her right hand, and took the latter. She noticed that the more time passed, the more she couldn't differentiate between the prostatic and a living arm, and it almost felt like she never lost her arm to begin with. It was natural, almost too natural.

Yang opened the letter and began to read.

_'Hey dad, hey Yang! I sent Zwei back to you guys because as much as and everyone else loved having him around, the road ahead of us just became too dangerous for him to come with. I also wanted to say that I miss you guys a lot, and we are still trying to figure out ways to exit Vale's main continent and head to Mistral. Things are a bit dark right now, but I won't give up hope that someday, we could be behind this. I love you both so much, please don't forget that._

_PS. Yang, I'm sorry about your arm, but you mustn't lose your path. We know Blake is still out there, and maybe we'll even find her. I just want you to know, that no matter what happens, I still wish you could be here with us._

_Love, Ruby Rose.'_

Yang burst into tears. She missed her sister so much, and even know, while she is fighting, all Yang did was read books. But now it's going to change. With Yang's new arm, she was going to grab her fate by the horns and change it. She turned to her father.

"Dad, listen. I know you're afraid. I was afraid too. But look at me now!" She raised her right arm. "I did this! Not some doctor or an expert dust forget, I did this! This arm, no, MY arm is the labor of all of my hard work and studies in the past months. Now I can finally fight again, and even if you tell me no, I'm going to." She said decisively. "I'm sorry dad, but I've already made up my mind."

Tai yang stared at her with pride. He didn't know all the details of what she did to make that arm, but right now he didn't mind. He saw his daughter, complete again, with the same flame burning through her eyes that she lost all those months ago. He got close and hugged her. "I know."


	4. The Outset

Over the next few days, Yang's life bloomed.

Not having to hide anymore from her dad, she started to train on a regular basis out in the open and dedicated even more time to learning how to control her arm. Tai yang suggested them having a sparring match, in order to help her test the scope of her prostatic dust arm. They stood in a clearing near their house, Tai yang holding his war hammer, Terra Breaker and Yang using her new arm and the old Ember Celica on her left one.

"Ready, Yang?" Her father asked eagerly.

Yang clutched her fists. She could even feel the crystal fingers on her palm as though they were flesh and blood. And even though this sensation should not even be possible with crystal, it didn't feel out of place or unnatural. It was like it was meant to be like this all along.

"Ready!"

The two huntsmen dashed at each other fiercely, trading blow for blow. Yang couldn't believe herself: She was able to keep up with her DAD. The same dad that she modeled her own fighting technique after years ago. And not only was she keeping up with him, she had the upper hand! Her new arm, filled and glowing with power, packed a much bigger punch than she originally thought. As she saw it, it shouldn't any more powerful than her Ember Celica's gauntlet form, but there was no way to even compare. Every punch she made, every fist she threw, was stronger than she could possibly have imagined.

Tai yang came at her with impeccable speed and launched his hammer at her from the side. She saw it coming, and jumped above with all her strength and landed behind him, ready to throw a fist at him. Her hand flew faster than her brain could process the information, and she sent her dad flying. He crashed into a nearby tree and lumped over.

"Dad, and you okay?!" She was worried. Yang still had no idea how to monitor and limit her own power, and she was afraid she might have seriously hurt her father. She ran up to him to find a dazed Tai yang sitting against the tree.

"Yeah, honey, I'm okay. Luckily my aura absorbed most of the impact, but I think I need to rest for now." Yang sighed in relief and approached her father. She placed her right arm on him and concentrated as it started to glow with an eerie light. Tai yang felt it as his aura started to regenerate itself. "Yang, when did you learn to do this?"

She honestly didn't know. Ever since she put it on, she started to 'know' things. Beyond what she learned from her books about aura, it was like now she had a feeling for it two. She could sense where her father was hurt and channel her aura to help him. By no means could he still fight, but at least he will have a faster recuperation.

"I don't really understand it yet, but it should help you recover dad."

In the days to come, they continued to practice and spar. Bit by bit Yang readjusted to combat situations and slowly mastered her new power. If anything, she had one major problem with her form at that point: Her right and left sides were in complete imbalance, so much so that she noticed how much she relied on her right hand alone in fights. She couldn't have that. The whole point was to return to how she used to fight and not just rapidly punch with one arm. She knew she couldn't leave until she was ready, and this was the last big problem she had to solve.

It was a warm spring evening. Yang was tired from her long day of dodging Terra Breaker and punching out trees, so she sat and read some of her books. Thinking about her conundrum, she had a weird thought: If I use dust as a weapon with my right arm, why can't I do the same of the left? Of course, she wasn't going to just chop off her arm again. That would be stupid, even for her. However, she did have an inkling where could she find an answer. She picked up the book Of Dust And Men and searched it for a specific episode she knew had something to say about an incident similar to hers. No index was pretty annoying sometimes, but she searched it nonetheless. After a few minutes, she finally found what she was looking for: A story about a huntress who walked through a cave filled with dust crystals. When a Grimm came to attack her, her aura reacted, reshaping the dust around her into a wall.

 _'Though it is an uncommon phenomenon, those of exceptional skill and determination to survive have proven to have a certain mastery of dust, though in a more subconscious manner. They do not shape the dust by will, but more by instinct, though will trait can be mastered with experience and practice. Remember that.'_ The chapter closed. Yang thought about this and came with an idea. She went downstairs and took another two crystals from the workshop desk. By now her dad knew all about it, so all she had to do was just tell him at some point she took them. He wouldn't mind. She went back into her room, sat on her bad, forged the two crystals into a longer one, placed them on the top of her left arm, and pushed.

The crystals glowed as they slowly sank through her skin and into her flash. She felt their warmth, and honestly at that point, she wasn't afraid at all. Even though it was only the second time she ever put a crystal into her body, the process felt like second nature to her, like she did this a million times over and this was nothing weird or alien. With the dust firmly in place over her bones, Yang called her dad and asked him to spar with her for a minute.

"Sure thing, but it's getting dark, so we'll have to finish it quickly, okay?"

"Don't worry, dad. I just want to test something, okay?"

They stepped outside, and Tai yang readied his hammer, but not before noticing that she did not bring her Ember Celica to the spar.

"Wait, Yang. Where is your other weapon?"

"Oh , don't worry, that's what I wanted to test. Just come at me."

"Get ready then. No holding back!" Tai yang lunged at her with an overhead swing. Not hesitating, Yang caught the hammer midair with her left hand. Already, she could feel it brimming with power, but not as much as her right arm. She knew it wasn't the end of it though. Tai yang jumped back and prepared for another attack.

"Okay, here goes nothing" She whispered to herself.

Yang closed her eyes and concentrated on the dust inside her left arm. It started to warm up, and she turned almost her full attention to it, filling it with her aura. Thoughts began to enter her mind, of all that she worked so hard to obtain and recover. She beheld her aura as it concentrated into her arm, and it the peak of it all, she released.

"GYAAAAA!" She screamed at the top of her lungs.

Her left arm vibrated wildly before being covered in light. She could feel the crystal within in grow through her skin, while not tearing or searing it, reshaping itself and forming a gauntlet-like form around her arm. As Tai yang approached with his hammer, she grabbed it with both hands and stopped it. He couldn't even move it an inch, it was like it was stuck under a couple tons of earth. Her father let go of his hammer and jumped back before she dropped it to the ground with a loud thud.

He stared at her for a bit, while looking at her new weapon. After a few seconds, he saw as the dust around her left arm shrank back, receding back into her usual hand, as she sighed in relief.

"So, I'm just going to have to accept this with no questions, Yang?" She figured a basic explanation was in order.

"Okay, remember how I would always use my right arm in our spars, dad?" She didn't wait for him to respond before continuing. "Well I figured the Ember Celica could just not catch up with my new arm, so I figured, ' _Hey, what's would be the same as dust, if not more dust!_ ', so I took some crystals and viola! A new weapon that should balance out my stance and both sides of my body!"

It took him a minute to swallow all of that. But then again, Yang did do this before without any harm to her, so he figured she should be fine. They sparred a bit more, allowing Yang to have some more time getting back to her original combat style, which came to her much more fluidly now, before deciding to call it a day and returning to their house to eat something.

"You should come up with a new name."

"For what?" Yang was a bit confused as to what her father meant.

"To your new weapons, obviously." Tai yang replied with a slight smile. "I think you should really name them something." Yang felt a little flustered. _It's just like giving names to your right and left fists. Wait, that's literally what it is._ She could not deny however that maybe there was some truth to his idea. She basically already did that with the Ember Celica, so she might as well do that now. She pondered for a moment before deciding on something she liked.

She raised her left hand. "Blaze Celica."

Then her right. "Dust Celica."

"Different names, then" Tai yang sighed. Now that Yang was almost completely rehabilitated and ready, he knew it was only a matter of time before she would leave for Ruby, even though Yang had no idea where she was. Zwei came to the table and ground his head against Yang's leg, looking up at her. _I guess you can sense it too, huh buddy?_ He thought to himself.

They sat in silence and ate. They didn't have anything fancy to eat, just some cheap bread and some uncooked vegetables. After finishing their meal, Yang stood up and looked into her father's eyes. At that moment, he could see in clearly beyond a shadow of a doubt: His daughter was back, full front and center.

"Dad, I have to talk to you about something very important -" She began to talk, but before she was done her father stopped with the stop gesture of his hand.

"I know Yang, I won't stop you from leaving. But before you do, I want to have at least one last night here. I want you to have all the strength you can muster out there, so please, at least for now, stay this last night."

She began to tear up a bit, before calming down and hugging her dad. "Thank you."

From there, Yang mostly just started packing things to take with her. Now that she didn't need any dust rounds or other types of ammo on her for her new weapons, she could just focus on bare essentials, like food and first aid stuff. She packed a small bag, put her old outfit to wash, then went to take a shower, which she seldom had as of late.

Yang reminisced and reflected on all that she achieved during those last seven months. She took a moment to observe Dust Celica, and how natural it felt for her. In fact, she could barely differentiate this from what her brain remembered of her last arm, and even more than that, she could feel everything through the arm, from the drops of water on it to the soap, cleaning it up. She heard it before from Glynda and her dad, how people with prostatic arms and legs would sometimes reject them, mostly because for all its worth, those robotic parts did not have any nerve endings in them, thus they could not really feel anything. This fact made it even more bizarre for Yang, because not only was the attachment process fast and mostly painless, it was like her body was naturally preordained to be compatible with dust. Many questions popped in her head, and as much as her new self would love to explore and solve those riddles, she knew it was time for her old self to shine more. Now is the time for action, not thought.

After taking a relatively long shower, yang prepared herself to go to sleep. Zwei entered her room, and jumped on her bed, settling himself on it.

"You want to sleep with me today, huh buddy?" Yang didn't let Zwei sleep in her room that often. She just liked the idea of being woken up by licks and a dog sitting on her stomach. _I guess for tonight I'll allow it._

"Okay Zwei, just for tonight." She lied down on her bed, with Zwei cuddling. She could feel his warmth against her right arm as she drifted to sleep.

 _Okay, this is just surreal._ Yang thought to herself as she saw the events that unfolded before her. Once again, she was having a lucid dream, but unlike the last she did not have any direct control of what she saw. It was actually quite beautiful: She floated midair, from what she assumed was her sleeping body. She looked everywhere, and what she saw amazed her: Auras. So many auras, of so many people. The more she rose up, the more she could see around her, eventually, she even saw beyond Vale into other continents, the other kingdoms, and all the small settlements in between them. Then she looked into herself, and she saw her aura manifest as a bright fire of all the colors. She was intrigued, and started looking for other she knew, and before long, she could see her: Her sister ruby, on the eastern coast of Vale! with her she saw her other friends, Jaune Arc, Nora Valkyrie, And Lie Ren. _Wow, they're all here, all of th-..._ She paused for a moment and a picture of her fallen comrade, Phyrra Nicos, popped up in her mind. She had only heard Phyrra's death by the hand of Cinder, the mysterious opponent that Ruby presumably defeated through what Ruby could recall when she was home and the vague reports of Glynda and Qrow. It filled her with sadness, knowing she was gone, but that was the reality of their situation: This was war now, and wars had casualties. Yang would just have to accept that. Shortly after, she gazed upon the rest of the world, to search for other she knew. Soon, she saw Weiss Schnee, in complete white, in north Altas, though her aura was cold to look at, and distant. She pondered a bit in Weiss' Aura was always like that, and wanted to know what made like this in the first place, but eventually, she turned and searched for Blake. She didn't even know why. Maybe it was the dream directing her, or maybe she just needed to know. The search actually took her a while, before finally sensing the aura of her faunus friend: All the way into the center of Beacon's ruins. She could barely see it, Blake's aura was tiny and near transparent. She compared it to her own aura, which glowed with radiant flames, and realized something dire: Blake's aura was almost snuffed out.

Yang yelled. She wanted to help her with all of her might, but no matter how much she moved, she could not advance forward. Then, in a snap, she woke up, sweating in her bed.

Yang didn't take long to finish preparations. She didn't know whether her dream was an omen of reality or just a mirage, but it didn't matter to her. As far as she was concerned, her friend was in a dire situation, and time was of the essence. She finished packing as fast as she could, taking a dusty old cloak she found in the attic while covering her right arm with a long bandage. She couldn't have people freak out at her walking the streets looking like a something out of a horror movie. she almost ran out the door before her father called to her on the doorstep. She went back and gave him one last hug before leaving.

"Just be careful, okay Yang?"

"Okay."

With that, she dashed out as fast as she could, her dust augmented body reacting to her will and pushing her ever forward. She only had one destination in mind: Beacon Academy.


	5. The Path to Blake

A determined Yang ran across the shores of Patch, looking for a way to get to the main continent of Vale. The journey wasn't too long, only taking her a couple of hours so far, but she knew this was nothing compared to Vale's lands. _No,_ she thought. _I still have a long way to go. I have to get to Blake as soon as possible._ She didn't have any time to waste, any way would do at that point. But no matter who she turned to, no sailor or pilot would dare set foot outside, there were grimm everywhere. She briefly thought about trying to contact Qrow or someone else, but her scroll didn't have any reception, as usual.

After a while of wandering around the docks, Yang became a bit desperate for a ride. She didn't want to do this, but as she saw it, she didn't have any choice: She would have to extort someone into helping her. She found the nearest fishing shop that was still open and entered it.

"Hey, you. You got a boat?"

The shopkeep raised and raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't be a fisherman without one."

"Good." She undid the bandages around her right arm and raised it high, much to the shock of the old man. "Because you are taking me to the main continent."

It didn't take long to 'convince' him to give her a ride. She hated to do this to a poor man just trying to live his life, but she didn't have any other choice. No one else would do it, and she had a mission to accomplish, no matter the cost. The ride itself went without any real trouble. There were a few deeplurkers here and there, but in the end, they were just eels with grimm masks. One punch from the Dust Celica was enough for them. They reached the shores of Vale, near the industrial district, and Yang decided she could at least give him a few lien for his troubles. The old fisherman turned her down though.

"Just, go away. I have to make the journey back now, no thanks to you." He snarled at her and left towards patch. Yang felt unease with what she just did, nut nonetheless she pressed on.

From there, the journey was only on land, to Yang's contentment. From here on though, she would pass by the district's many warehouses, reach the residential district, from which she will get to Beacon. Yang walked for a while, observing her surroundings until a rogue thought passed through her head. She checked the time on her scroll.

"Wait a minute. It's 1AM right now." She spoke to herself aloud. It's not like there was anyone who could hear her anyway in the middle of the night. "How the hell can I see this good?"

I was strange, but the augmentations from the dust just kept on going: She could now see semi-perfectly in the dark. Not all the smallest details, but at the very least more than she could before. Yang decided to put this detail of the 'list of things I'm definitely going to learn about later' and for now and head to Beacon. However, she could only do so much on foot, but luckily for her, she recognized where she was, and remembered that a certain club she has been to before was close. She ran there to see Junior's bar, apparently still open.

"I'M BAAAAAACK!" Yang shouted with a cocky smile on her face as she burst through the door. Junior had only a minute to react before grabbing a hold of himself and making sure he wasn't hallucinating or something. So far he used his old club as a makeshift safehouse, being pretty far from the inner city means that grimm seldom roamed the area. It's not like he could leave. He was still on wanted lists out there, and if not in Vale, surely he would get arrested in another kingdom.

"Blondie? Is that really you? Also," He took a short minute to regain his composure, clearly failing, "What in the name of fuck are you doing in my club at this hour."

"Oh, nothing special, " Yang said as she scanned the dance hall. The dance floor was completely empty, sans her and Junior, though Melanie and Militia Malachite could be around, hiding or something. The tension was so thick she could cut it with a knife. "I just need a tiny favor from you."

"Oh yeah, And even if I cared to know what it was, what makes you I would give you anything, miss bar destroyer? Do you know how much the last time you were here cost me?"

Yang simply undid the bandages again. Unlike that old fisherman, she knew what kind of man Junior was, and because of that, she felt a lot comfortable doing this to Junior. She knew who he was, and, though mostly harmless, he is no innocent. She raised her arm, the light from the catwalk reflecting from her crystal arm as Junior's expression morphed from trying to be calm to trying to not shit his pants with fear.

"Oh, believe me," She said in a monotone voice, a small smile forming on her face . "If you don't give me what I want, this visit is going to cost you a loooot more."

Junior scrambled for his rocket launcher and gave a sharp whistle. Out of nowhere, Melanie and Militia ran it, and while being shocked by Yang's apparent body modification, still took a fighting stance. _Dammit, I don't have time for everyone's bullshit!_ She thought to herself.

Junior trembled as he spoke. "W-What the hell happened to your arm, blondie?! What even is that?!" She took a small breath.

"I lost my right arm, so I made a new one. Now," She approached the trio, seemingly not fazed by their weapons drawn right at her. "You are going to get me a bike, I have a person to save." She gave him a second to grasp it before continuing. "And then you are going to tell me everything you know about Adam Taurus."

"Like hell I will! Die, you freak!" Junior shouted in fear as he shot a missile directly at Yang. She looked surprised for a moment, but not before catching the missile with her Dust Celica and holding to it until the gas in it ran out, dropping it to the floor, all the while advancing towards him. Melanie and Militia jumped at her with a flurry of coordinated kicks and punches, but Yang was ready for them. She raised her fist up high and punched the earth beneath her, causing a small tremor to occur. This destabilized the duo, which quickly bumped each other's heads and fell down, unconscious. Yang reached Junior's stand and lifted him by the collar of this tie.

"Now, as you were saying?..."

"Okay. Okay blondie, you win. Just get that, THING away from me, it's unsettling." Yang put him down. _And dangerous..._ He thought.

They sat in the VIP room of his clubhouse, Melanie and Militia being not present and still unconscious, though Yang figures she didn't hit them that hard, and they should be just fine after resting a bit.

"So, about Adam Taurus." She said. Before going after Blake, she knew that Adam was probably after her as well, and unlike Yang, he had an entire organization at his disposal. She hated to stall, but she also understood she needed to know about him as much as she can before going after her friend.

"Listen, blondie, I honestly don't know much about the guy myself." He took a sip of his drink and continued. "Never even seen him myself, he's not the most human loving faunus out there, you know." Yang wished he would spare the cynicism, but he did had a point: Adam Taurus was the head of the White Fang, a faunus only organization that dedicated itself to bringing equality between the faunus and humanity. At least on the surface. In truth, while their motives were pure to some regard, they had to qualms about the lives they take during their 'operations'. They were no less monsters than the grimm whose masks they imitate. "But, in my trade you hear things, so here is what I do know: The guy is ruthless like hell, and has zero remorse for his actions. Possibly years of emotionally killing himself did that, but who could tell." He poured himself some more scotch. "All I know is he not the kind of gut to go toe to toe with."

"And weapons?" Yang continued her questioning.

"Long, red ninjato, sheath doubles as a shotgun, but that's all I know. his members barely came here at the day, and when they did, they would only spit things like that when they were shitfaced drunk."

"Hmm" Yang closed her eyes and thought about going about finding Blake. Her dream directed her to Beacon, and that's where she was headed first, but inside that area she still needed to find a more precise way to locate Blake. "Now about that bike you promised me..."

"Sure, 'promised'" Junior said with sarcasm. "Just come with me, I might have something in the back."

"Okay, but no funny stuff, Xiong."

The two went through a back door to the alley behind Junior's club. There, he had about two cars parked next to each other looking pretty fancy, and three bikes parked next to the opposite wall.

"Damn, Junior, how do you keep all that functioning? I thought that Vale fell to shit."

"Ain't cheap, I'll tell you that much. But finally, my connections around the city are starting to pay off. Maintenance is hard to get though, so I'm not sure which one of them is still good to go. They all have gas though, so at least we have that."

Yang went over the motorbikes until she found one she liked. It was black, with some yellow outlines covering it here and there. It wasn't the fanciest one, but she just needed a pair of wheels. Nothing more.

"Fine." Junior went inside for a moment and returned with the keys. "Here you go, blondie. Just please bring it back in at least a repairable state."

"Can't make any promises, but we'll see. See you later."

"Wait, where the hell are you even going?" Junior just figured that in all this mess, he still had no idea where she was headed.

"For now, the ruins of Beacon Academy." Yang said decisively.

Junior laughed a bit. "Well, so much for the bike then, the place is swarming with grimm, and I seriously doubt YOU are going to make it, even with THAT." He pointed at her arm. "But good luck I guess. See you in hell, blondie."

Yang stared at him as he headed back to the bar to check on the girls. "Fair enough, I guess."

The ride from there was mostly uninterrupted. Yang did take a light power nap on the way. She didn't sleep for a pretty long while, and now it was finally catching up to her, and dust arm or no, a tired body is a dead body. Most of the residential district was abandoned at this point, with only small groups of people still there, so it wasn't that hard to find someplace relatively place for a small nap. After waking up and going on her way, she heard a blood curtailing screech from above her. She stopped and looked up, only to see two giant Nevermores heading in her direction. She stepped off her bike and prepared for combat. _Oh, come on! I don't have time for this bullshit!_

Yang didn't waste any time and summoned her Blaze Celica. She just wanted to end this skirmish as fast as possible, so all bets were off. Besides that, unlike the small fry she fought so far, grimm of that size would require more out of her.

Just as the giant grimm came at her, she jumped onto one of their backs. The one complaint she had with the Blaze and Dust Celicas is that she lost her long range capabilities, but it was a minor problem for her. The increased strength and other abilities the dust gave her more than made up for it. She tightened her fist and punched the grimm's back, creating a giant hole all the way through it. As the bird fell and started to crumble, she used it as a stepping board to launch herself to the next one, which came right at her. It swallowed her whole, but before long, she burst through its other end, the impact of her punch practically tearing it apart. She used the grimm's remains to cushion the fall, went back to her bike, and moved towards Beacon. The more she got closer to the former huntsmen school, the more grimm she encountered. Wave after wave came after her, and she tried to avoid as much combat as possible to save time, only fighting when it was absolutely necessary.

The sun was finally rising when she finally got to beacon, as the bike finally broke down just as Junior predicted. _Riding uphill on a rocky surface would do that to a bike._ she thought to herself. _Whatever. I can cover Beacon on foot easy_. While walking through the front entrance, memories of her time at Beacon flashed through her mind. All the happy timed she shared with her sister and her friends, the investigation they did together, all those small everyday quirks they had and their misadventures. As she reminisced, she heard steps coming from behind her. She quickly hid behind some rubble as she saw two members of the white fang, one with a bulldog tail and one with a mane, walking towards the ruins. As far as faunus go, they looked pretty similar to humans, except each one had a certain animalistic trait to him/her. This could go from simple things like ears or noses to more bizarre scenarios like tails or even wings, which were pretty rare as far as documented cases go. Her friend Blake, for example, had cat ears instead of human ones ( **A/N: I know in the show Blake has two sets of ears. This is bullshit. I honestly believe this is more of a modeling constraint rather than an intentional detail, so if you'll excuse me, I'm changing THAT.** )

Either way, she overheard their conversation, which put her on the edge.

"I can't believe the boss would actually send us here to find that bitch."

"I know, right? Even since that big fight happened and she disappeared a few months ago, he just completely lost his shit and has been looking for her like mad."

"I get it for him, but WE signed in to change the world. Not search for one stray cat."

Yang finally snapped. She jumped the two faunus, taking them completely by surprise. She knocked the mane out with a blow to the head and held the other in the air with her Dust Celica.

"Wh-Who are you?!"

Yang tore the mask of his face with her left hand to see a frightened faunus looking at her with confusion and dread. "You don't ask the questions here, buddy, I do." She threw him to the ground with anger and put her leg on his chest. "Where. Is. Blake. Belladonna."

"The faunus girl?! How the fuck should we know?! We were trying to -" Yang pressed against his ribs harder, which made him squeal in pain.

"I said" She lifted herself up a bit so he could breath "That I'M asking the questions. Now what do you know about her whereabouts."

"Nothing much, really. I swear." He spoke with fear. "She's either dead or hides so well that we just can't find her, and there's no way she left Vale. Otherwise, our branches would have spotted her on a ferry of an airship dock."

"Not enough." She pressed hard again and looked into his eyes. "You know more. What is it."

The faunus was astonished, but she was right. He tried to point towards his pocket. "Th-There." Yang reached into it and pulled out a piece of black ribbon. Blake's ribbon. "They thought because I have a dog tail I must have a keen sense of smell, so they sent me here to try and track he-" Yang knocked him out before he could finish that sentence. She took the ribbon in her left hand and held it close to her heart, focusing her aura into it. _I did this in my sleep. I can do it again._ She thought to herself. She let her right arm raise, and like a dowsing rod, she felt a faint trace of Blake's aura on her ribbon. She let her arm follow it, and as she thought, it tilted towards inner halls of the school. _I knew it._ She thought to herself. _Now, to go find her._ She thought as she dashed head on into the school.


	6. The Reunion

Yang scoured the ruins of Beacon Academy, searching for her lost friend, Blake. The once prestigious and successful huntsmen academy, now reduced to rubble and abandoned buildings in the aftermath of a six months ago, was filled to the brim with grimm. in its center stood what remained of headmaster Ozpin's office, which doubled as Vale's CCT tower, and on top of it, lied a giant, petrified grimm dragon. All around it, nevemores and wyverns flew in circles, seemingly not aware or completely disregarding the lone huntress, either way suited her. She didn't know why Blake would go here of all places to hide, but it was only a matter of time until she died from an injury, killed by a grimm, or worse. From time to time, Yang would hold to Blake's Ribbon, and used her newfound abilities to redirect herself in whatever direction it took her, though this action drew the attention of lesser grimm, which was very bad for her: Time was of the essence, and she didn't have to defeat every single grimm out there.

So far she managed to pinpoint Blake's location to the dormitory, where the students slept the nights with their teams. Yang felt like it was forever ago, but she remembered the path well: She was headed to team RWBY's dorm.

She ran through the empty corridors, once filled with life and teen angst. Now that she thought of it, maybe it wasn't the best idea to put a bunch of hormone filled adolescents in the same room and enforce a strict moral law. God knows what all those kids did in those dorms throughout the years... _Wait a minute, what the crap am I thinking? no distractions, Yang! Blake now, speculations later._ She was almost there, when she saw a crowd of grimm, apparently patrolling the area around her old room.

"Hey, assholes! looking for something?!" She didn't have time to sneak by all of them, so she would just have to take them head on, and if any of them touched even a single hair on Blake's head, she would burn them all the ground, though she was going to kill them anyway.

A couple of beowolves came at her running, but honestly, they were outclassed by far. She summoned Blaze Celica and proceeded to beat the shit out of them, all the while spewing terrible one liners and dog related puns. For a brief moment, she was genuinely having fun in the fight, since she had to kill all of them anyway, time constraint or not.

After finishing all of the grimm in the area, she made one quick sweep to make sure the coast was, at least for now, clear. She then headed inside the dorm, where she finally saw her: Blake was lying on her bed, apparently asleep. Her weapon, Gambol Shroud, lied next to her in its collapsed form. The dorm was in complete tatters, the sheets all torn apart and most of what the girls left there destroyed or broken beyond repair. All over the floor were plenty of cans of juice and snack bars, raided by Blake in her desperate attempt at survival in a grimm filled environment. It was even a miracle she survived this long. She approached the unconscious faunus, and what she saw shocked her to her core: Blake was pale, very pale, and barely breathing. She checked her pulse, and while it was still there, it was almost gone, her breathing being weak as well. Blake was on the verge of collapsing under her sickness and dying.

Yang acted without thinking twice, pulling a syringe with medicine from her bag and injecting it to Blake's thigh. The effect wasn't all immediate, but Blake's condition stopped getting worse at the very least. After that, Yang put her hand on Blake's chest and closed her eyes. She sensed Blake's aura and saw it as a small, fading spark. Yang breathed and channeled her own aura through the dust into Blake. Bit by bit, she saw as the combined efforts of the medicine and her aura brought back some color to Blake's pale skin, and after checking her pulse again, she felt it beat stronger this time. She wasn't conscious yet, but at least, her teammate was outside of a life-threatening state. Well, besides the hordes of grimm lurking around every corner of the school.

Yang had to act quickly. Though the area was clear for now, she couldn't tell when more grimm will notice and attack them. She took Blake in her arms, stashed Gambol Shroud in her bag, and ran outside of the dormitory, through the halls to the main courtyard, where she looked for a way down the mountain. _If only that stupid bike wouldn't have broken down._ She stared down to the main city, wondering how to get down from Beacon when her eye noticed her the two unconscious White Fang members lying on the floor. _If they got here, surely they have a way to get down._ Yang thought as she hid Blake inside a bush and went to wake up the two.

It didn't take long, just one slap to the face of one of them was enough to wake him up. When he did, the faunus realized he was held by the unknown assailant from earlier, and gave a quick shriek of surprise.

"You! What do want now?!"

"You got up here, you have a way to get back down. How?"

"I-I'll tell y-you, just don't hurt me. Please." The faunus pointed towards a stone pillar east of them. Yang looked and saw the bits of what looked like a two men hovercraft. Though regular cars were still the norm, it was known that scientists at Atlas were conducting research on bringing the technology of airships to the private consumer. Rumor had it even that they already succeeded, but they decided to use this technology only for military purposes. Yang took Blake's unconscious body and went towards the machine. Sure enough, it looked like a small hovercraft, with the Atlas military insignia being covered by the White Fang's. She loaded Blake onto the backseat, strapped herself in, and drove off towards the deserted houses. By the time they reached center Vale, the sun was already high above them, and Yang decided to find another shelter until Blake would wake up and get a little better. The day was little safer than the night, grimm appearing less often, but still all over the place. Yang avoided as many as she could, until she finally realized she could just return to Junior's for a safe cover for now, at least until Blake recovers and they can decide where to go. She drove all the way back to the industrial district and got back to the club.

"Hey, I'm back." She said quietly as she carried Blake through the door.

"Wow blondie, I can't believe you really made it out there." Junior said astonished. He legitimately thought she was going on a suicide mission, but seeing her back, and with a blacked out faunus, whom he assumed she wanted to save, was sort of surprising. "And the bike?"

"Complete Annihilation."

"Figures." Junior said sarcastically.

"Well, you know me." She said with a smile. " Also, I need a bed for her. Also, something against the flu would help."

"Who she? A friend of yours?"

"Yeah, and unless you want me to show what happens to those who mess wi-"

"Yeah, yeah, got it." Junior cut her mid-sentence. _Honestly, there's no need for that, you already made your point, blondie._

When Blake finally woke up, she had no idea where she was. The last thing she remembers was trying to hide from a large group of grimm before losing consciousness, being sure she was going to die alone. But now, not only was she getting over the virus she caught a few days ago, she felt nourished again and was lying in what seemed like a room right out of a brothel, her weapon gone from her sight. _Oh no._ She thought to herself. _How did they even find me so soon?! Wait a minute, how did they find me at all?..._

Blake tried to piece together her thoughts. She tried to rationalize a way for the White Fang to find her, yet she couldn't think of one. She masked herself as much as she could, and no would be insane enough to enter Beacon after what happened, even Adam. She sat on the bed, trying to make sense of her situation, when a familiar voice called through the door.

"I'm going to check on her, so make me that drink, okay?!" She heard as the door opened and Yang entered the room. Blake was shocked. She had no words to describe what she saw. Yang Xiao Long, Her partner, and teammate at Beacon was standing before her, looking as lively as ever. She looked almost the same, with her luscious, golden hair and liac eyes. The only thing amiss was that her right arm was looking rather swollen and covered with bandag. . .

Yang's right arm was there.

"Ah, I see you're awake." Yang said calmly. "That's good, 'cause you've got a ton of explaining to do, Blakey."

"Yang, I... How did you..."

"Shhh, it's okay, Blake. I'm here. I'm really here." As Blake heard that, tears began to form beneath her eyes. So many days of suffering, of hiding from the world, from her partner, from herself. Now, in one instant, all those suppressed emotions began to burst, and she started to sob. Yang saw this, sat next to her, and gave her a long, firm hug. "I can see you're tired. Just rest easy for now, Blakey. We'll talk about this once you've regained your health." It was funny. For all this time, Yang still felt a bit angry at Blake for leaving her like she did. She was sure her first conversation with Blake would draw out those emotions, but in all the chaos that ensued, she felt her anger towards Blake leaving, bit by bit. She no longer saw Blake as a deserter, but as a survivor, doing everything she could to keep herself and her loved ones safe, even if it meant cutting herself from them completely. Still, she had a lot an answer for, and Yang was not intending to neglect that fact.

They stayed at Junior's club over the next four days, with Yang helping Blake recover as fast as possible. She finally got to eat a decently healthy meal after a long while, her only sustenance being candy bars and juice cans she managed to scavenge from broken machines around Beacon. Her body slowly recovered, and she could even feel her sickness dissipate over time. All the while, Blake couldn't help but wonder how did Yang get a new arm. She never removed the bandages, and whenever Blake mentioned the subject, The club owner Junior and his two henchwomen would show a slight shudder, like a fear instinct. Yang just told her that she would show her what was under the wraps when they finally caught up with each other.

It was a spring evening when Yang entered Blake's makeshift room with some dinner and some medicine. Blake ate and took the pills, and after that Yang sat next to her and looked into her eyes, before bopping her nose playfully and laughing.

"Well, Blake, I think it's about time we talked. Now," The playful mood they had going began to subside. "Tell me this: Why did you leave?"

Blake sat there and thought how to answer that question. She had a feeling she couldn't lie to Yang or make up excuses, so she just decided to say the truth, no matter how much it hurt. "I ran because I was afraid, Yang. For you, for me, for Ruby and Weiss." She paused to look at Yang for a moment before proceeding. "You have no idea what kind of man Adam is. All the rumors you hear are nothing compared to the monster he became in reality." She began to stutter. "I-I- I just wanted to live my life!" She cried. "Was it really too much to ask?! just to live my life in peace?" She just let it all out, secrets she kept inside for years laid bare. She still had her desire to become a huntress, to protect people. But in the end, after all is said and done, she had no overly complex motives: She wanted friends, a place to call home, and a warm bed. And when all of that was threatened by Adam, she listened to her most animalistic instinct: She ran and hid, hoping the problem would go away eventually.

Yang, sitting in silence, seemed to have understood what Blake was going though. She looked into Yang's eyes and saw an aura of wisdom is it. But it wasn't wisdom of the mind, Yang was never the thinker of the group. No, this was wisdom the heart and soul: Yang might not be able to read her thoughts, but she understood her. She embraced the huntress and the tears began to flow.

"I can't say I completely forgive you yet." Yang said, trying to fake a smile. "But I do understand. Just promise me and from now on, we stick together, and you try to rely on me from now on, okay?"

"But how? Last time you faced Adam, he..." Blake didn't finish that sentence as her eyes began to fixate on Yang's apparent new arm. Yang saw her curiosity and chuckled.

"Right, I didn't show you yet." She said as she stood up and began to unfold the wraps. "Just try not to be too shocked, okay?"

Blake couldn't grasp what she was seeing: Yang stood before her, her right arm made entirely of orange crystal, which was obviously of dust origins. Blake had no words: She read a lot of books in her life, some on dust, but never has she seen such impossibility in one moment. She got up and caressed the crystal for a bit, noticing Yang reacting to her touch.

"You can feel this?" The mysteries only deepened in her mind.

"Yeah, Blakey, I can. It's still strange to me as well, but ever since I made this arm and attached it to myself, trust me when I say weirder things have happened."

"Wait, you MADE this?! how?!" Blake wasn't as afraid and Yang predicted. If anything, it seemed her curiosity took the lead on this one, and she could see Blake's wheels turning, trying to explain this to herself.

"It wasn't easy, I'll tell you that much." Yang said with pride. "I took me a lot of practice and studying to accomplish, but it was all worth it." Yang clutched her fist, and Blake could her aura seeping through it, radiating what could be described as pure power.

"Wait, you actually sat DOWN? with a BOOK?" Blake said as the image of Yang studying something for more than thirty seconds tops made her smile and laugh. She hadn't laughed this hard for a while, and it felt refreshing to her.

"Laugh all you want, pussycat," Yang said with a cocky smile. "I'm the one with a badass dust arm." Yang suddenly raised her eyebrows. "Oh, wait! I forgot to show you part 2!"

"Part 2?" Blake said as she saw Yang's left arm glow while being covered with more dust. By the end of it, while it wasn't completely opaque, she saw Yang's left arm covered with a dust gauntlet, her skin barely visible under it.

"Wow." Blake said. She had no other words to describe this. In what seemed to her like an eternity of hiding and running, Yang advanced so much, she felt way behind her at that point.

"Blake, This are Blaze Celica and Dust Celica, my new weapons." Yang said with great pride.

"That's amazing Yang." Blake said star struck. It was all too amazing, her friend again with her, she felt something she didn't feel for a long while: Hope. She held on to that feeling and decided that from now on, she would try to stop running. her resolve starting to rebuild itself after months of fear and panic. With Yang by her side, she thought they maybe even had a chance against Adam.

"But how did you find me in Beacon?" Suddenly the question popped into her mind, and she spoke it aloud without thinking. Yang explained to her about her newfound ability to sense aura, which related to her new arm and dust enhancements. Blake listened to Yang's explanation until she was done, and took a few minutes to process all of that information.

"I really wish I took that book with me" Yang contemplated. "I might have been useful in hindsight."

"Well, you were always the acting type." Blake reassured her. "I'm sure we'll be fine without it."

"Yeah, I know." Yang said as they pondered their next move.


	7. Anger

Blake woke up early in the morning. She felt much better now, and she thought to herself she could try to return to her old habits when it came to sleep. She stepped outside of Junior's club so breathe some fresh air, when she saw Yang, sitting near the entrance, meditating. The sight was very surprising for her, but she guessed that Yang changed so much, perhaps this was something new for her as well. She came to greet her friend, but closed her mouth in the last minute. _I shouldn't disturb her._ She thought to herself. G _od knows how annoying it is for someone to break your meditation._ She decided instead to join Yang and sat beside her. She closed her eyes, and let the thoughts dissipate from her mind, but for how hard she tried, one raw emotion would just not go away: Fear. She was afraid, and she saw it loud and clear. Now that Yang was with her, she decided to try and not run again, but her heart was louder than her mind.

Unbeknownst to Blake, however, Yang could feel her presence all along. Her newfound abilities amazed her more and more with each passing day, but with it, questions came, which is why she mediated in the first place. She cleared her head, and let one riddle float within it: _How can dust give a human so much power?_ She turned her consciousness to her right arm and felt her aura as it passed through it, like it did with the rest of her body. She watched it flow and circle her for a while, until finally reaching the conclusion that she couldn't tell the difference between the crystal and her flesh anymore. Sure, she _Saw_ it different, but it felt like it was a part of her all along. Now that Blake was okay and no immediate danger to any of her friends was present, she decided to finally dedicate some time to the mystery, and try to make sense of her new set of powers. After focusing on her arm for a while, she decided that all she could tell for now is that those abilities came not from the dust alone, since she has never seen dust being used in such way, but through a combination of her aura and the dust, the letter being a catalyst of sorts to the former. The reason the connection between the two, however, still eluded her, as well as the reason it only happened when the dust was directly attached to her body. After all, she has seen people hold dust crystals before, and yet none of them exhibited such skills.

"Good morning, Blake."

Blake was startled that Yang noticed her presence. She jumped back a bit and sat back down next to her. "Good morning."

"I see you're much better now." Yang said in a quiet tone, a smile forming on her face.

"Yeah, thanks to you." Blake said, and then paused. "I still can't believe you came. I thought you would be so angry with me, you would never want to see my face again."

"Ah, shucks, don't say that." Yang blushed slightly. "Even if was angry. And believe me, I was, I would never abandon a friend in need."

"Fair enough." Blake sighed. "But what do we do now?"

Yang stretched herself and thought about what Blake just said: They could go after Ruby, find and regroup with Glynda, Qrow and the other survivors from Vale, go fetch Weiss (Which was not likely, seeing as for the moment Weiss was locked down in the Schnee family mansion, and beyond getting to Atlas breaking onto THAT was not an option), or even return to Patch and rest for while, while figuring out a better plan of action. While coming up with options, an image came to Yang's mind: Raven Brenwen, her biological mother. She knew she could resume her quest to find her mother, but quickly dismissed that idea. _No,_ She thought to herself, smiling to Blake to hide her true feelings. _I will do it, but not just yet._

"Dunno, Blakey. There are quite a few options before us."

"What about Adam?"

Yang's face darkened a bit. "Why do you say that? We have no reason to pursue him, you know."

"But he'll keep on hunting us, Yang!" Blake got emotional. "No matter where we run, no matter where we go. He'll be there, waiting for me."

"Well, I guess if he does, we'll take him head on." Yang made a brave face. "You have to stop running and face the music, Blake. There's no other way."

Blake had no choice but to agree. She didn't know what would happen in the moment of truth to be honest, but she knew that no matter what happened, she wouldn't run this time.

"Although, " a small grin started to form on Yang's face. "I've got to hand it to him." Blake stopped to make sure she heard that correctly. "He really is a cut above the rest."

"Yang?"

"I'm just sayin'" She continued, seemingly ignoring Blake. "That when the time comes, we can't fight him empty handed."

"Yang stop."

"But you know what? I bet I can take him on with one hand tied behind my back."

"Yang come on. Please." Blake groaned.

"oh come on Blakey, don't give such a cold SHOULDER."

"This one doesn't even have anything to do with arms..." Blake snarled.

"Still counts, baby" Yang said jokingly. "Anyway, I too have a bone to pick with him."

"How so?" Blake asked before immediately realized she fell for it and braced herself for another terrible pun.

"Well, I can't just let him DISARM me like he did last time you know." Blake gave one loud groan as Yang laughed loudly at her own joke.

"How can you even joke at a time like this? I really don't understand how can you think of so many puns at the same time."

"Because if I don't laugh, who will?" Yang said, her expression returning to her serene self. "I know this is a war, Blake. Trust me, I do." Yang took a deep sigh. "But we can't lose ourselves, even in the face of strife and bloodshed."

"Yeah, you're right." Blake closed her eyes and tried to doze off for a bit, but her faunus instincts were screaming at her. She couldn't tell what it was, but something was coming.

"Yang?..."

"Yeah. I can feel it." Yang got up and looked around, only to find a missile heading in their direction. Yang quickly jumped in the air, caught the rocket, and threw it back at its sender. Blake jumped on her legs and drew Gambol Shroud's sword, and prepared herself for combat. Shortly after, a bunch of White Fang members appeared from behind the various warehouses, carrying weapons and making a threatening grin at Blake.

"We finally have you, you bitch" One of them said. "Do you have ANY idea what our boss put us through to find you? And here you are, sitting doing nothing." Said another. Then a third one spoke "But we decided, since you put us through so much shit, to have a little fun first. So let's dance, kitty cat." They came at Yang and Blake while Yang just took a moment and started to walk towards them as well.

"Yang, look out. They seem serious."

"So do I." Yang said as she slammed her fists against each other, sending a pulse of pure power at the group. Some of them felt it and backed off nervously before Blake figured what Yang was doing: She was intimidating them. Yang used actual mental warfare to depower her opponents before they could even more, and it even seemed to be working to some degree. However, those of the group too mentally thick or resistant enough to intimidation techniques still marched forward, starting to run as well.

By now the band of thugs was running at her, yet Yang just walked slowly towards them, an angry look on her face with her eyes starting to turn red. Just before the faunus clashed with her, Blake saw as Yang prepared to throw a punch with the Dust Celica, still wrapped under her regular bandages, before suddenly vanishing just before then. She appeared a second later behind the group, Dust Celica unleashed, as the whole lot of bunch of them fell to the ground. _That's impossible!_ she thought to herself _How could Yang possibly move so fast? Her semblance never gave speed like that._

Yang continued towards those that stayed behind, some already running away in panic. She grabbed one of them who tripped down, and gave him a long, furious look, her eyes burning red like the sun.

"Where. Is. Taurus." Her voice becoming loud and gruff by the end.

"W-W- " The faunus mumbled as warm piss started to leak down his pants.

"Wrong answer." Yang said and in one swift motion she punched his gut, causing him to faint.

Yang went back to Blake who looked at her with awe: She became much more powerful, and also more brutal. The Yang she knew would never be both clever enough to think about scaring her opponents and also be strong enough to take them all down in one fell swoop.

Yang took a deep breath and shouted back in their direction "AND TELL YOU BOSS HE'S NEXT!" before tending to Blake "You okay?"

"I'm fine" Blake said worried for her friend. "You?"

"Please, it's not like they could actually hurt me or something." She said before getting quiet for a short while. "However now I know what are we going to do next."

"And that is?" Blake asked, afraid of the answer.

"We take the fight to Adam. He wants you so badly, let's give him what he asks for then."

"Yang wait. I'm worried about you."

"What, you think I can't take him?"

"No, not that." Blake tried to explain herself "You just talked to me about not losing ourselves to this battles, yet you look a bit bloodthirsty right now."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Yang growled at her.

"Don't you think you're becoming too violent? In this rate, you'll become no better than them"

"That's not true! I haven't killed anyone!" Yang couldn't believe her ears.

"But what would happen when you do?!" Blake yelled. "First, it's by accident, the second time it's a necessity, and the third time you make this choice yourself!" Blake didn't want Yang to end up the same way Adam did. "I've seen it before. If you don't stop now, you'll find yourself deeper in this hole then you think."

"But I CAN'T just LET them do this to you!"

"Then don't!" Blake tried to calm her friend down. "I'm not asking to stop. Just take it a bit easier on yourself."

The way Blake phrased that last sentence brought up a memory in Yang's mind: It was during their time in Beacon, when they still thought the criminal Roman Torchwick was the big mastermind behind all of this. Yang used those words almost exactly to get Blake to stop pushing herself too hard investigating. She took a moment to look at herself and saw what Yang was walking about: Just a few moments ago SHE said they should grab hold of themselves, but almost every fight she had lately brought another, more primal part of herself forth, especially with the White Fang. It wasn't even cruelty or hatred, just pure anger. She saw this inner beast inside of her, gnawing at the edges of her mind, waiting for another moment to take control and send her over the edge, and for the first time in a while, Yang was a bit scared.

"Okay, I promise." Yang said a bit weakly. "I'll try to control myself a bit more from now on, so don't make such a worried face, okay?" Yang resolved to use her morning meditations to try and dissipate this side of herself, or at the very least contain it to her subconscious. Blake was right, she couldn't let herself fall down this road.

"I'm still serious about Adam though." She said after a short while.

"What?!" Blake said surprised. "You can't possibly be serious."

"Look, we already called him out." Yang explained to her slowly freaking out friend. "At this rate, it's only a matter of time before he seeks us out directly, and when he does, we have to be ready for him. One thing is for sure though: He's coming. Either way." Yang said silently. "He's coming after us now. No time to hide Blake."

Blake took a long while before nodding in agreement. "Y-Yeah. I guess you're right."

They spent the day doing some training and exercises, with Yang mostly helping Blake get back in shape. When the sun finally set. They went inside the club and sat down at Blake's room.

"So, what now?" Blake finally asked.

"We roam Vale, help those in need, see if anyone heard anything from my sister. Meanwhile, we keep an eye out for anything White Fang related. We should be expecting Adam hearing about what happened here soon, so sticking around will make us sitting ducks." Yang looked towards the door. "Plus, I don't think this would be a nice repayment for Junior's hospitality towards us."

"How much DO you know him, anyway?" Blake became a bit curious.

"I came round his club back way before Vale fell, looking for information about something I can't even remember anymore." Yang stopped for a moment to try and remember. "Eh. Must've been not that important. Anywhoo I fought his henchmen for a bit and trashed the place. Said it cost him a fortune to repair this joint." Yang reminisced for a bit. "Seriously though, we should pack and leave as soon as we've both rested and are ready."

"Sounds like a plan." Blake agreed.

That night, Yang has her first nightmare after a while. She stood on the edge of a cliff, her Dust Celica missing while a shadowy figure approached her slowly.

"Who are you?! What do you want from me?!" Yang shouted at the silhouette, noticing that the more it got closer to her, the more it looked familiar.

"What? You don't recognize your own past?" The shadow replied with a voice. Her voice. When it finally stood before her, she finally saw it for what it was: It was her, Yang Xiao Long, with both arms intact, wielding the Ember Celica.

Yang couldn't believe her eyes. "What are you?"

"No one special. Just a fragment of a forgotten self." The shadow grinned while taking a battle stance, her Ember Celica morphing into its gauntlets form.

Yang wanted to fight back, but she had no strength in her for some reason. All she could do was stay stuck in place as the shadow grabbed her by her shirt and lifted her above the black abyss below.

"You can't repress me, Yang" The horror spoke. "You may try to restrain yourself, to calm down, but deep down you know the truth: You can't. You'll always be angry. Always be raging against everything around you. Your friend may think you've calmed down." As it spoke pictures of Blake began to form around them. "But you'll NEVER forgive that bastard for taking her away from you." The scenery changed around them to that of Vale burning. and in the corner of her eye Yang could see Adam Taurus approaching Blake, about to kill her.

"BLAKE!" Yang tried as hard as she could to get herself loose from the shadow's grasp, but it was just too powerful for her. "Ya see what happens without me, Yang?" The shadow laughed maniacally as Adam stabbed Blake, and she dropped to the floor lifeless. Even though it was just a dream, Yang couldn't help but cry. "You lose. And those you care about die."

Yang didn't have any comeback after that. She didn't know what to say anymore, despair filling her. "Maybe you're right." Yang whispered.

"Of course I am. I'm you, after a-" The shadow said before being cut by Yang.

"You're right, but not completely." Yang said quietly.

"What's that, bitch? You think you can stand up to me?!" The shadow threw her to the floor. And Yang barely managed to get up.

"No, I can't" Yang admitted. "Maybe I'll never truly stop being angry." She started to approach her shadow. "But that doesn't mean it's always the only way."

"OF COURSE IT IS!" The shadow bellowed. "YOU SAW WHAT THEY DID TO YOU! THEY NEED TO PAY! THEY ALL NEED TO SUFFER JUST AS MUCH AS WE DID!"

Yang came close and hugged herself. "I know, and they will. But not like this. This way just isn't right anymore." The shadow began to subside slowly, before speaking one final sentence.

"You can't reject me forever, Yang."

"I know." Yang said as the dream turned white and she woke up.


	8. Vale's Last Resistance

Blake and Yang woke up early. Very early. With Adam and the rest of the White Fang surely going after them, they had to move first, and as far as possible. They got up, ate something small, before Blake suddenly said: "We should ditch the clothes."

"What, why?" Yang asked with slight confusion. Sure, her brown jacket was already a few sizes too small with her breasts sticking out if she didn't cover them and her tights were really short, plus her pockets were sawn to pieces of her jacket she torn by mistake when she was younger and were just stitched neatly and held in place by her belt, but this was her thing for a while now. She didn't want to just change it.

"Well, if staying here makes us easier to find, so does looking the same." Blake explained, "We need to mask our appearances as well."

"But where exactly are we going to find new ones? And before you suggest: There is no way in hell we're asking Junior." Yang blushed. "I know what kind of back ally businesses he used to run here, and trust me, once you look at the outfits he has around, you'll say the same."

"Well we can go to the commercial district and search for an abandoned clothing store or something, but either way, we have to change. Or at the very least, I have to change." Yang took a moment and noticed Blake's attire had a ton of tears in it. Fortunately for her, none of them was too revealing, but she understood where all the pressure came from. _Blake's right._ She thought. _She really DOES have to do something about that mess._

"I'm still keeping this outfit. The whole point is to lure the White Fang too, you know. But if it will make you feel any better, I will put this on." Yang said as she pulled the old cloak she took from her home and struggled to push her enormous hair though the space between the cloak itself and her neck. She thought it would kind of lose the whole point if she couldn't cover her head with it.

"I guess it will do for now." Blake said in a worried tone. "We also need a different form of transportation at the very least."

Yang gave her a cheeky smile. "Don't worry Blakey. I've got us covered."

They sneaked around until they found Junior's Keys cabinet, which Yang punched open with ease, luckily not making too much noise. They took the remaining two motorcycle's keys and went outside, each taking one for herself. When Junior finally awoke, he went to the main area of his club only to find his key cabinet broken open, some of the keys missing, and a note saying 'I.O.U'. G _oddammit, blondie._ He thought to himself wondering where the hell could those two went. _Well, at least they're out of my hair from now..._

The two made way amidst the ruins of Vale, stopping by a couple of deserted clothing stores and scavenging what they could from each one. By the time they were done, Blake managed to recreate the usual outfit, which included a white overall covered by a black corset, though she couldn't find one with tails on it, and thigh high stockings ending in black, slick shoes with a bit of a heel to them. It didn't look perfect, and none of her new garments had her symbol on them, but it was close enough to what she was used for. She also replaced her usual head ribbon, which covered her cat ears usually, hiding her identity as a faunus with a black, silicon bow. Even since she left the White Fang and joined Beacon academy, she always wore a ribbon to hide her race from everyone. She couldn't let anyone find out the truth, seeing as she IS a former member of what many perceive as a terrorist organization, it could have gotten her arrested. Of course, her friends eventually found out the truth, and accepted her as she was, which was a nice change from what she was used to so far from humans, but it was no reason to just throw caution to the wind.

They continued on through Vale's ruins, searching for anyone that might have seen Yang's sister. Even though Yang already had a general idea of where Ruby was, she still wanted to hear it from another person that she was okay. Yang also hoped someone might have something of Ruby, seeing as without one she couldn't lock on to Ruby's location. They drove around even as the sun set, and the quietness of the dark was settling around them. All of a sudden, they heard a roar from a few miles away, followed by a scream. A human scream.

"Blake, let's go, now!"

"Yeah."

They drove faster, heading towards the voices with haste. Finally, they saw what caused the noise: It was a young boy, being chased a relatively huge ursa. The bear grimm might have been slower and clumsier than the child, what it more than made up for it with its sheer size, slowly catching up to him. The child was running towards a group of building, yelling "Save me, aunt! Save meeeee!"

Yang and Blake didn't wait long to find out who this 'aunt' was. They drove close by the child, with Blake catching him and putting him the bike behind her. The child didn't have a lot of time to grasp what was happening, as for him they came out of nowhere.

"Yang, I'll take him somewhere safe!" Blake yelled as she started to ride towards the buildings with the kid.

"Leave it to me!" Yang yelled back, pulled her bike over and got off of it, leaving some space between her and the raging grimm.

"Come on, you little fucker! You think I'm afraid?!" She bellowed as it came into her range, with a claw ready to unhinge her head. Yang smirked as her arm glowed gold, and before the claw could connect the Dust Celica was already out of its bandages, blocking the attack. Yang smirked for a second.

"Okay, not bad. My turn."

She summoned Blaze Celica and delivered a quick jab to the ursa's stomach, sending it a few feet away from her. The grimm got up started surrounding her, looking for an opening in her stance. She figured that this one is a little older than the common grimm, and as most huntsmen could tell you, the older the grimm is, the bigger, and smarter, it becomes. _The bastards might not have souls, but they sure can pack a mean punch._ She thought before locking eyes with the grimm. _At least this one will be more interesting than the others so far._

They continued this standoff for what felt like eternity, the ursa looking for a chance to strike, and Yang making sure it didn't. After a while though, Yang noticed something: It was dozing off! The ursa, for reasons unknown to her, might still be walking in circles, but for all intents and purposes, it looked like its mind wasn't all there. She saw this as her chance and started to move towards her target. Unbeknownst to her, however, this was exactly what the grimm expected. She dashed towards it, Dust Celica at the ready, aiming for the finishing punch, when in just the last minute the grimm shifted its stance, Yang only seeing it was a trap when it was too late for her to move out of the way. It dodged her attack and delivered a slash to her gut, drawing blood. She fell back, staggered by the powerful strike, before finally getting up and retaking her pose.

"Now you've done it." She said as her eyes burned red.

She charged again at the grimm, her semblance enhancing her strength. Every hit she took, and slash that landed, was used to empower herself on a subconscious level. With enough e she even generated heat, allowing her access to fire elemental punches, which usually finished fights, but not in the case of grimm like that. This one was old enough and survived enough blazes in its life its fur became tougher and tougher, resisting the fires with ease. She threw more and more punches with increased speed, only amplified by the dust, but the grimm kept on with her. She became enraged, and with each attack she missed the ground around her began to crack down and break. At this rate, it was only a matter of time for the grimm to tire her out and finish her off.

Just as Yang was about to deliver what she was sure was the final blow, a single sentence passed through her anger and made itself present in her head: _Calm down._ She took a moment to look at herself from the outside, and suddenly became aware of what she was doing: She was just throwing blanks as the grimm kept on avoiding her. She was blinded by her own rage.

Yang stopped for a moment and felt the fatigue starting to catch up with her. She already spent most of her energy on the offensive, and her aura was almost depleted. The ursa took notice of her pause and charged at her with its own barrage to slashes and tackles. Yang jumped high and landed on its back, with the ursa violently trying to shake her off. _Okay, Yang, focus. You only have enough for one last shot._ She said as she poured all of her remaining aura to the Dust Celica, her eyes reverting to their normal color. It glowed brilliant gold, and the more aura she channeled into it, the more she felt herself becoming the crystal. She blocked everything around her: The broken roads and debris, the roars of the grimm, even thoughts of Blake and the night sky itself. She was in that single moment, and the only things existing for her right now were her arm and the ursa's back. She rose up, clutched her fist as hard as she could, and slammed the back of the beast, shattering its insides in half.

Shortly after, the grimm collapsed, dead, and started to dissipate. Yang just stood there, trying to catch her breath, before hearing a familiar voice call to her.

"Yaaaaang!" She heard Blake call to her as everything turned dark.

When Yang woke, up, she was in a small shelter, her stomach seemed to have been taken care of. Blake was sitting next to her, with a dreadful look on her face, before turning to see that Yang was awake.

"Oh. H-Hey, Blakey." She said weakly. "What'd I miss?"

"Yang!" Blake called and went over close to her friend "I thought I lost you... Thank god you're alive..."

Yang struggled to sit, before being overcome with pain and lying back down. "Don't worry. It takes a bit more than that to snuff me out."

"And it's a good thing it does." They heard a third voice enter the small room. It was the voice of Glynda Goodwitch, her former teacher at Beacon.

"Huh, didn't expect to see you here, Glynda." Yang said with a cocky smile.

"You could save the attitude, Xiao Long. You almost died back there, and you are in no place to act like it was nothing. If you have enough energy to be snarky use it to heal yourself instead." Glynda was a lot more serious than she remembered. _But then again, she did help save my life._ Yang thought as she closed her mouth and drifted back to sleep.

"Will she be okay?" Blake asked Glynda nervously.

"Physically, yes" Glynda replied. As time went in Vale, she found more and more children who lost their parents in the chaos and decided she would take care of them. But the constant threat of a grimm attack always had her on the edge. She could never really relax, always anticipating the next catastrophe. Seeing her two former students were alive, especially Belladonna, was a welcomed sight to her. But nonetheless, she couldn't let stop being tense, Even for a second. "However, I'd be more concerned about her new, 'attachment" She said dryly and pointed at the Dust Celica.

"Why?" Blake wanted to know what Glynda meant. "So far she's been fine with it. It even made her stronger. You saw the ashes. Just imagine how big the ursa she took down was, and that was single-handedly."

"The problem is I don't think she can remove it, Miss Belladonna." Glynda continued. She was so used to handling things in a war zone she forgot how to properly have a simple conversation. "I tried to carefully remove it from her while she was asleep, and it just won't budge. Even more, it seems her very aura is flowing through the thing like it recognizes it as a valid part of her body."

"So? Yang told me she made that arm herself. And if she was brave enough to put it on, I trust her she knows what she got herself into with that." Blake felt she needed to defend Yang from Glynda. Glynda's face didn't shift at all, staying cold. Suddenly a little girl entered the room.

"Aunt Glynda, you should come outside, there's a man waiting there and he says he want to see you."

"What is it? Can't you see we're busy?"

A male voice came from the outside. She recognized it immediately. "I just thought I'd stop by." It called. "After all, my niece is here, and I'd like to see her myself."

After an hour or so, Yang woke up again. She was recovering rather quickly, and tried to sit back up again. When she did, she saw another figure sitting with the other two: Qrow.

"So, you're finally awake, huh?" Qrow asked with a skeptical voice.

"Yup. I feel a bit better after sleeping it off some more." She stopped when she noticed the mood was very tense and everyone was staring at her. "What? Is there something in my teeth?"

"Try your arm." Qrow replied, and Yang realized they could all see the Dust Celica in the open. Of course, Blake already knew. But as far as Yang knew both Glynda and Qrow have never even seen it before. "Also, there's this little fact that even though it's only a bit over a day, you already recovered enough to get up and sit. Usually an injury like that takes weeks to even begin closing."

"I'm just really, really tough. You know that."

"You also have a huge chunk of dust replacing your right arm, and even though it's most likely this is where those regenerative abilities come from, I can't rule out the possibility of any other effects it might have on you..."

"effects? Qrow, I've already used this arm to HEAL other people, with no seeming consequences. I've even used it to trace Blake using her aura alone. I'll be fine, trust me." Qrow looked into her eyes, and realized that she speaks the truth, or at the very least very certain she is.

"Well, the most important thing is you're okay." He said relieved. "Sorry to doubt you so much, Yang. All this bullshit going on made us very cautious with who we can trust. You can never rule out any possibility, even a friend turning foe, and with a form of dust I've never even heard of, it's not farfetched to think it might have an effect on your mind as well as your body."

Yang sat silently for a few minutes, her face slightly frowning.

"You've lost yourselves. The two of you." She pointed as Qrow and Glynda.

"W-What?" They both said confused simultaneously.

"Have you already forgot the whole point of Cinder's plan?" She continued, getting a bit louder. "The one thing almost all legends say will be our downfall?" She waited for a few seconds, wanting to see if they could figure out what she was talking about. Alas. it seemed that none of them understood.

"It's fear, pain, mistrust in one another." She declared. "If you continue on not trusting your very friends and family, then what worth is there in humanity to save?"

"It's easy for you to say." Qrow retaliated. "You didn't have to handle thieves and betrayals left and right for seven months."

"I never said I didn't lose myself as well." Yang's voice raised. " When I lost my arm, I was completely engulfed in rage and despair. I thought I was worthless, and that I could never even leave my house again." She said as the other's faces made a grim expression. "But then I found a way to regain what I lost, and instead of wallowing in sadness and nothingness I seized the chance, and here I am now!" she exclaimed. "I even managed to forgive Blake for leaving! And if I, one lone girl could do all that, surely the last stand of Vale could do much, much better."

"Yeah, me too!" Blake joined her and went to sit beside yang. Blake took her hand, and Yang held hers in return. "I thought everything was over. That I would die alone, with no one even remembering me, and that this was the way it was meant to be. But then Yang saved me, not just from a bunch of grimm or thugs. She saved me from my own delusions." She stood, Yang still holding her hand. "I'm still afraid." She said. "But I won't let it stop me from going forward again."

Qrow and Glynda just sat there, speechless. They knew the two were right, but they also couldn't shake the previous seven months of their lives. As time went, more and more people left Vale or died. Those who did stay and decided to fight back were either quickly broken by the onslaught of grimm or had to focus too much just on survival. As far as they knew, Patch had it a little easier, seeing as only the main continent was hit, was nonetheless the people here were much harsher. After a few minutes, Qrow stood up and slapped himself.

"You're right." He said with a gruff voice. "I've been too busy eating shit from everything around me to notice how distant I've become from everyone else." He turned over to Glynda. "Ozpin in gone, Glynda. Either dead or missing, and when he first disappeared I promised I would fill his place. And I can't do that if I'm too busy being such an ass." He let that sink in for a moment. "It's time we taught them to fight."

"But they are children! Some not old enough to even understand what's going on!" Glynda was furious with him. _How could he even suggest such a horrible idea?!_

"Then let them choose. Those who do know what's happening will come. And besides, " He looked at Yang and Blake. "If these damned kids can still be hopeful, we can do better, right?"

Glynda couldn't bring herself to completely agree with him, but in the end, she nodded. "Fine. It's time then. I'll go talk to them." She said silently as she left the small room. Qrow soon followed her, leaving Yang and Blake alone with each other.

"So, Blakey, you gonna let me go anytime soon?" Yang asked seductively. Blake suddenly realized she was still clutching Yang's hand, and let it go, her face becoming bright red.

"W-Well, for now, y-you should rest." She said embarrassed. "I'll come check on you tomorrow."

"Okay then. Goodnight, Blakey" Yang said softly as she fell asleep. Soon after that, Blake returned to Yang's bed and pulled a small mattress on the floor next to her bed.

"Good night, Yang."


	9. The Infiltration

Yang awoke to find Blake sleeping on a mattress next to her. By now, her wound from the ursa was mostly healed, only leaving a few faint scars on her abdomen. She sat up, seeing it was much easier than yesterday, and started to meditate. As she cleared her mind from the events that transpired yesterday, she felt herself float in the empty void of her inner mind, without a care in the world. This was one thing Yang found out she really enjoyed in her meditations. For all it's worth, this was a small part of her day where she felt relaxed, as if everything was okay. However, something was a bit off. After a few minutes, a rouge image sneaked into her mindscape, and for how much she tried, she could not shake it off: It was Blake.

She woke up for her trance state and looked at Blake, sleeping peacefully on the floor near her. her moving here during the night, though very flattering to her, has brought up the question in her head: How does Blake feel about ME? Sure, she had her hunches, only amplified by her new ability to sense aura, but she did not want to just come on to Blake like it was nothing. As far as Yang went, she always fancied girls more than boys, though some were some unique exceptions. Her problem was, unfortunately, no one could possibly keep up with her outgoing lifestyle, which resulted in her inability to maintain a relationship for than a week on average. Of course, that was before she changed. She went back to meditate, but this time, instead of clearing all thoughts, she focused on Blake instead. Memories flashed before her eyes, as she dove head deep into her own feelings. Before long, she noticed that with each memory, her heart would beat faster than usual. She had to admit it to herself. I think I love her...

She decided for now at least not to show it too much. Maybe when she's ready. Hell, I don't even know if she likes girls or boys. She got dressed and decided to take a stroll until Blake finally woke up. Man, she really does sleep like a cat when she wants... Yang thought as she walked among the makeshift tents and semi-renovated buildings. Glynda's Camp wasn't a small one by any means, most of it inhabited by children. There were a few adults, only about three or four more, and she saw them walking around, tending to the younger of the kids. Out of those people, she instantly recognized one face, another teacher at Beacon: Professor Bartholomew Oobleck. He wore his usual Thick, round glasses and had a simple white shirt with dark blue pants on him, connected by a medium leather belt, Though like many others his clothes were torn up here and there, mostly from the constant fights. He had his thermos, which also doubled as his weapon strapped to his back, and seemed to be giving a lecture to a few of the young, just like he would in Beacon. Yang could only guess what his lecture was about as she approached him.

"Ah, Yang, what a pleasant to see you up and about. would you like to join my lesson with the others?"

Yang gave him a funny look. With all the books she read during those past few months, she thought she knew enough about history and the times of old. Put it to Oobleck to prove her wrong though, and surely by the end of her day his lectures would be pouring from her ears. "No thanks, I was just passing by. Glad to see you though."

"I'd prefer if you stayed, Miss Xiao Long." He insisted. "I have something to discuss with you when you are able.

"Okay, but you better make it quick. Blake and I are leaving as soon as she gets up and ready. We still have the White Fang on out tail, you know."

He finished his story to the children and called Yang over. She sat with him in an open area next to tents.

"May I see it?"

She shrugged and removed the bandages, revealing the Dust Celica. Oobleck inspected the arm for a while, knocking on it and admiring Yang's Handiwork.

"It's quite fascinating. I've never seen such use of dust. Sure, old legends mention things like this, but seeing it live a something completely different."

"Where do you think I got the idea?"

"Hmm." Oobleck hummed, lost in thought. In all his years as a history professor, seeing things that break the cycle of history was a very rare thing. Should he survive, he had to memorize this moment, for the future generations.

"Wait Oobleck, where is professor Port? From what I remember, you and he held the grimm back during the Vytal Festival when they attacked us.

He quieted down and said with a sad tone. "After you all left, we struggled to keep the grimm at bay. When we finally saw that we couldn't possibly win, He told me to make a run for it, while he kept them at bay. Before I knew it, he already pushed me away as the last thing I heard was his battle cry as he charged towards a wall of griffons..."

Yang just sat there in silence. Sure, Port wasn't her favorite teacher (She didn't really like any of them particularly for that matter.) But it was still sad to hear about his passing. As a final consolation, at least he died the way he lived: Fight 'till the very end.

"Now all I do is teach them. Tell them the stories and tales of how men fought against the darkness valiantly, hoping one day, when they grow, they might be better than we are today."

"Whatever happens, you can't lose your own hope Oobleck." Yang said with determination. "Getting this far taught me that this might be the best weapon we have these days."

"Then I see you have managed to learn something important all by yourself." He stared at her for a moment. "For what it's worth, I am proud of you as a teacher."

Yang gave him a cheerful smile. "Thank you." She got up and stretched herself "I think I'll go check on Blake. She must've have woken up by now." She walked back to see Blake awake and preparing herself for the road. Glynda didn't have much to offer them when it came to supplies, and she spared them some food for the road and some ammo for Blake. Yang noticed Blake playing with her weapon, and an idea came to her head.

"Hey Blake, good morning."

"Ah, Yang, ready to go?" Blake seemed eager to leave already. She was still nervous from the whole coming ordeal with the White Fang, and wanted to try and forget about it for a bit by driving.

"Yeah, but before we do, I have to ask you a question: How are you on ammo for Gambol Shroud?"

Blake looked a bit disappointed. "Not much. I only had half a cartridge left on me, and Glynda only had one more that fit my weapon. At this rate, I won't be able to use Gambol Shroud's gun configuration unless it's an emergency."

"Not if I can help it." Yang gave a small smirk as she pulled a dust crystal she brought with her from her bag. Even though the Dust and Blaze Celicas didn't require any form of ammunition, Yang thought it would be a good idea to still grab a few crystals with her, just in case. She took the crystal and grounded it back to dust, and Blake watched with a bit of surprise as Yang forged the dust into bullet shaped forms.

"There ya go. Custom bullets a la Yang." She gave the bullets to Blake, who loaded them into her half empty cartridge. She managed to fill up the rest of it, with some to spare. Yang made her a few more rounds, from different crystals, so that she had more options in a fight.

"How versatile ARE you?"

"This has nothing to do with dust Blakey." Yang laughed a bit. "This is just a simple forging technique using my aura. Even you could do it if I taught you. Hell, it's not a half-bad idea."

"Maybe later. For now, we have to go." Blake said with tenacity unfitting for her.

"And where to, might I ask?" Yang was genuinely curious.

"You said it yourself. Adam won't stop until he finds us. So I decided to listen to your plan: We'll find him first, and attack him when he least expects it."

"Good thinking, let's go." Just as they went to leave for Blake's bike, Oobleck ran after them.

"Wait, girls!" He finally reached them, huffing.

"Professor?" Blake seemed a bit surprised. She heard from Glynda and Qrow what happened to Port and how they found Oobleck and asked him to join them, but she was still a bit astonished to see him in person.

"Before you do, I wanted to give you this." He handed them a small book and a pen. "From personal experience as a huntsman, it's best to keep a journal of your days on the road. You never know when your memory might betray you and a journal will be your saving grace."

"We'll keep that in mind." Yang said as she took the book and pen and stashed them in her bag. The two left the encampment, heading towards the horizon. Blake suggested they head back to the industrial district, where they first discovered the recruitment rally the held in one of the warehouses in the area a while back. They reached it after an hour or so of riding, only to see the entire area covered with White Fang members.

"Seems your intuition was right." Yang whispered quietly. "So, what now?"

"I don't really know. We'll have to sneak around and see." Blake muttered and the two of them crawled around the area, finding an open ventilation shaft and climbing into it. While Blake was naturally silent in her sneaking this was not a mundane situation for Yang, who had to use her aura in order to mask her presence from the faunus in the area. They continued to scan the facility, looking through the air gaps in the tunnels at the people below. In one of the rooms, they saw the White Fang established a small shooting range, in order to keep their members sharp and ready. Another one had a small kitchen, with approximately four or five faunus sitting there. In total, they found about one hundred and thirty-seven White Fang Members in the entire warehouse, though maybe only twenty of them seemed to be seriously competent in battle, mostly the range instructor and the other lieutenants, which patrolled the hallways. There was only one thing off about this, which both Yang and Blake thought about at the same time: If this is their base of operations, where is Adam? Blake figured they'll see him eventually, perhaps in a small office of sorts or in the training hall, but he was nowhere to be found. They pondered if attacking was even a good idea until they overheard a conversation between a cadet and one of the lieutenants.

"Sir, is it really necessary to search for that ONE small faunus? What is even the leader's deal with her?"

The officer slapped him and yelled back "This is not your place to question our leader's orders! Especially now that he went outside himself to look for her. That scum id a defector to our cause, and on top of it, she personally betrayed our leader! She deserved every single bit of righteous retribution he is about to hand her! Now, as punishment for your insolence, you are to lap the entire base three times, in under ten minutes! GO!" The officer shouted as he picked his scroll and started the timer app. The cadet, in panic, ran off in towards the entrance.

"So that's his game" Yang thought out loud. "He's desperate enough to go out himself. Good." She said as the Dust Celica began to glow with her aura. Blake saw this and loaded her new bullets. "Then let's make sure he gets a pleasant surprise when he gets back."

The lieutenant was waiting for the soldier to come back when he noticed the ventilation shaft starting to glow. He went to inspect it, and before he knew it the opening burst open, and a punch came through, knocking him out. Blake and Yang jumped out and rushed to the shooting range, Taking out the lesser members as they moved on. By now an alarm was screaming in the PA system in the building. They reached the training hall and saw one of the elite members, a tall, buff bald man with very short black hair, a tattoo on his left arm carrying a giant chainsaw blade.

"Y-You?!" He yelled in shock as Yang came at him with blinding speed. He parriedp her Dust Celica with his blade and came to slash her when she had her back to him, only to get stabbed through the shoulder by Blake, who snuck up behind him. Though he managed to parry The blonde one with the freakish arm, his aura was greatly depleted by it. He staggered a bit, but resumed fighting, unleashing a multitude of swings and slashes at the two, though the fight was over the moment he was first injured, and Blake and Yang saw that. They continued to dodge his attacks, tiring him out, while letting his wound, combined with a well-placed punch and shot here and there weaken him further. After a solid minute of dodging, Yang simply came at him and held him in place with her left hand, while punching him repeatedly with the right until he lost consciousness and fell to the floor. From there, the blitzkrieg didn't last long, with the White Fang already losing most of their top forces, plus the sheer synchronization of the two huntresses was nigh impossible to see through. Each time one was about to get hurt, the other would rush to her aid, either Yang blocking attacks with her Dust Celica, or Blake using her semblance to create a scapegoat clone of herself and Yang to take the hit while they jumped back.

One by one the organization fell to them, until only a few they kept awake on purpose were around. The rest, whom they tried not to kill, were tied down and left at the shooting range.

"So, this can go both ways." Yang smiled devilishly at her victims. "You can either tell us where your boss is, or I could beat the information out of you. Either way suits me" The fauni were relatively young, even for White Fang standards, but Yang suspected they were at least told the general whereabouts of their 'great' leader.

"Please don't hurt us!" One of them yelled in fear. He was a deer faunus, with his nose replaced with that if the animal. "They only told us she was going to find her" He pointed his head towards Blake "Himself. Please, we don't even know what this is all about, and I for one don't want any part of this!"

Yang stared at him for a moment, and finally gave a sigh "Smart choice." She said as she and Blake left them there, still tied together. "Don't worry. I'm sure brave little revolutionaries like you should have NO problem handling such a trivial challenge!" She gave them a leering face as she and Blake combed the rest of the facility, making sure no else could sneak up on them.

"Well, now we know where he is," Blake stated after a few minutes of silence. "But that doesn't mean much. He could still come back at any minute."

"So we hide and wait." Yang said decisively . "He can't stay out forever, and when he does come back, we make sure to give him exactly what he deserves."

"And what would THAT be?" A new voice broke out in the grand hall, making Blake jump in shock. There, in front of them, he stood: The horns of a bull under short, crimson hair. A black outfit with a heavy rose motif in dark red, and his weapons, Wilt and Blush, in both his arms: Adam Taurus, leader of the White Fang, and Blake's worst nightmare, was standing right before them, and there was nowhere left to run.


	10. Army of One

There they were. Two lone huntresses, in the middle of a terrorist base, facing its leader, Adam Taurus. The faunus stared at them for a couple of minutes, his hand firmly on the hilt of his sword. He would move, but the blonde would probably retaliate faster. And then there was Blake, his former second in command, and the women he desires. He could feel his emotion go haywire, but for now, he managed to suppress them.

"So, what DO I deserve?" He asked calmly. Yang looked at him, and saw an immense force, just waiting to be unleashed. She wasn't sure if she even had a decent chance alone, but she knew Blake couldn't fight him, for her past with him left Blake tangled and scarred. She glanced at her partner, who was frozen in place, ready to snap and jump away at a moment's notice. The sheer fact she didn't already was admirable, though. Yang picked her words very carefully before speaking.

"It depends." She slowly raised her fists and started to take a battle stance, a serious look on forming on her face. "Which crime do you want to be punished for first?"

"Yang, don't do anything hasty, please" Blake pleaded to her friend. This was her ordeal in the end, and Blake knew that. A part of her shouted at her to leave and run, letting Yang deal with Adam, but something else left her stuck in place, a new feeling she couldn't quite name yet. She just stood there, stuck in a limbo between instinct and bravery, not knowing where to go. She tried to break this stalemate by reaching for her weapon, thus forcing herself on the battle, but Yang raised her right arm to stop her.

"No." She said with a cold tone. "He's mine."

Blake wanted to try and stop her, but Adam sent her a threatening Gaze, pushing her back. The past months of running and hiding finally caught up with her, and all she could to was resist the urge to run.

"Pity, my love, how far you've fallen" Adam turned silently and looked at Blake through his grimm mask. Blake didn't have anything to say to him, only looking with dread filled eyes. "From a great lioness to a mere stray cat."

This statement caused Yang to rise up in anger "SHUT THE FUCK UP!" her voice became very loud and booming. "You have no idea what she went through, And I won't let you talk that way about her!"

Adam didn't wait any longer, Yang's reaction irritating him. He unsheathed Wilt from Blush and dashed and Yang, who pushed Blake away. He intended to cut her left arm, seeing as her right was apparently made of crystal now. He got close and lowered Wilt, already seeing the attack connecting in his mind, but just as the just was about to touch her arm, it shimmered with light, before being covered with crystal as well. Yang moved fast and caught the blade in her palm.

"Sorry, but you're going to have to try a little harder than THAT."

She tried to snap the steel with the Blaze Celica, but it was tougher than she thought it would be. Adam took this chance to slide the blade through the gap in her hand and jumped back, preparing for another strike from her. Yang smirked, and instead of coming at him directly, slammed both her arms on the floor at the same time, causing a small earthquake. She then came at the disoriented Adam, thinking he wouldn't be able to react in time. She didn't expect him to parry her though, and the two warriors clashed and traded blows while the earth calmed down, with Blake watching. She knew his fighting style very well and saw him build up his semblance for a counterattack. She only saw him use it on very rare occasions, and fighting Yang was enough tcount for one. Yang didn't notice this, but Blake did: Each time he blocked her punches, he uses his blade directly. And the more she did this, the more he started to glow. She wanted to fight, but was back at the stalemate, though the more she saw Yang put her all into this, the more this new feeling began to win out.

So far Yang thought the fight was in her control: She completely put Adam of defense, with him only blocking her attacks by now. She came at him with an uppercut, but before she could notice he vanished and jumped a few meters away from her.

"Checkmate." He declared as his hair started to glow bright red and he came at her with impeccable speed. Yang couldn't do anything. She was still stuck midair from her previous strike, and she had no way to propel herself from harm's way using her weapons. All she could do is watch as Adam came at her with his semblance, Moonslice, and delivered a devastating blow directly.

Yang flew and crashed against the wall, gravely injured. Luckily for her, her control over her aura was enough to survive this attack, but just barely. She rose up slowly, leaning against the wall, giving him a ferocious look.

"You managed to survive that. I'm impressed." He said menacingly as he advanced slowly towards her. "However. This is where it ends." Yang tried to raise her fists, but the toll of manipulating her aura like that was too great: it was depleted, and now he was about to end her for good. Adam glanced over to Blake and called out to her "Don't worry my love. You'll see her soon in the depths of hell."

Blake couldn't stand it anymore. Yang was beaten, and even though Adam seemed tired as well from keeping up with her, he was still much more powerful than both of them, dust enchantments or not. She saw as he towered above Yang, raised his sword, and came to end her life.

She saw all happen in slow motion. She dashed towards Yang, in an attempt to save her, while everything started to slow down greatly. Her gut screamed at her to go the other way, but she wouldn't listen to it anymore. She finally understood what was this other feeling that held her in place, that made her act the way she did: It was love.

She wasn't sure of it first, never finding herself fully attracted to women. But she couldn't hide from herself anymore. She loved Yang, not because she was a woman, but because she was always there for her, even after she abandoned her and hid in the ruins of Beacon for god knows how long, the first person to find and rescue her, to give her a helping hand, to support her when she needed her most, was Yang, and she couldn't stand to see the person she cared so much for be brutally murdered in front of her eyes. Her love for Yang also awakened a new feeling with her: The desire to protect her from Adam.

At this moment, Blake felt herself split in two. She felt it before when she used her semblance to create an image of herself to bounce off of it and dodge incoming attacks, but it was never this strong. While she herself didn't make it in time, she saw herself, nonetheless, standing between Adam and the mortally injured Yang, blocking Wilt with its own Gambol Shroud. Adam struggled with it for a short while, giving Blake just enough time to drag Yang to safety.

"I didn't know you had another trick up your sleeve." Yang said as she coughed up a bit of blood.

Blake nodded at her and turned to Adam, who finally decapitated the clone, and turned to see Blake on the other side of the room. He was a tad surprised, but not enough to make him lose balance.

"Really my love? Protecting a HUMAN?!" He yelled at her, rage filling his eyes. She looked back, her fear still there, but now backed away by her determination to protect her friend.

"No, not just A human." She glanced back at Yang for a moment. "I don't care what she is, be it human, faunus, or even a creature of grimm. I love her, and I won't let you touch another hair on her head!" Blake yelled that last part. She wasn't even embarrassed about her confession. The only thing in her mind was what stood between her and her partner, and that person was becoming more and more agitated.

"LOVE HER?!" He shouted violently "WHAT ABOUT US?! WAS EVERYTHING WE HAD WORTH NOTHING TO YOU?! WHAT EVEN AM I TO YOU THEN?!"

"A MONSTER!" She screamed back. "I used to like you, Adam. You were kind to me, and taught me everything I know today. Without you, I won't even be here right now." She admitted to him. "But I can't deny it anymore. I tried to pretend you were lost and that you had good intentions, and perhaps the other members of the White Fang are. But not you." She continued, emotions pouring out of her heart. "You never saw anything you did, besides your end goal. The people we killed, the buildings we set on fire. I saw the people that suffered because of OUR actions." She lowered her voice to that of a hush. "You only saw what you wanted."

"I've heard enough!" He grunted at her and drew Wilt, completely enraged. Blake Dashed at him and focused herself again. She saw herself swinging her sword at him with all her strength, and just before she did, her will pushed her semblance to its limits, creating another clone of her. This time, instead of her using the clone as a springboard, it used her, dashing at Adam even faster than she imagined. While Adam easily dealt with the attack, she jumped in the air, once again envisioned herself move, dashing from the air for an overhead strike, and once again her semblance obeyed her will and another Blake lunged at Adam. She was no longer relying on her instinct to use her abilities. Now, Blake finally understood why her semblance was the way it was: It's not that her semblance represented her basic urge to run, it was merely affected by it, effectively locking her out of her full potential.

"What is even the point of this?!" He questioned her while dodging and killing her many images. "You can still come back, my love! I will forgive you!" The mere notion of him offering her to go back to the days of abuse and torment filled her with rage.

"NO!" She yelled back at the top of her lungs, "I won't go back to the way I was! Never again!" She had Yang now, and the more she thought about her love, the more she realized her fear was gone, fully replaced by her determination. Now, her instinct wasn't yelling at her to hide anymore. Instead, she heard a new word come from her subconscious: KILL.

"So be it, bitch!" Adam started to glow again, still having enough energy from the previous fight plus from all of Blake's clones. he spun in place, and Blake used her semblance to dodge, now having the ability to decide which of her would jump off of which. She quickly flattened to the floor as Adam tore the entire building clean off. the metal warehouse just exploded in all directions from the impact sending its walls flying all over them, some of it rendered to shreds from the sheer power of Adam's rage.

Blake quickly rose up and readied an attack. Adam was completely engulfed with anger now, and he looked less and less like the mentor she once knew. She didn't notice as he came with his sword, not at her, but at Yang. "Yang!" She shouted as a clone protected her, before Blake came from his side and shove Adam away. He stood up, turned towards Yang, and came at her again, determined to end his former partner's love's life. Blake was on the defensive, rapidly parrying and blocking Wilt and Blush as he shot and tried to slit Yang's throat. She came at him, making two clones at each side of her, which pushed her to the very edge, her aura getting smaller and smaller with each clone and the three Blakes attacked Adam from different angles. Adam spun in place, making them all vanish, as Blake jumped back and tried again, all the way thinking I have to protect her, I have to keep her safe... Nothing else mattered to her anymore: The setting sun, the clear sky around, the ground on which she stood, one by one her vision and senses narrowed and tightened until the only thing she could focus on was her opponent and her friend. Adam started to move again, but this time, she was ready for him. Reason leaving her mind, just as he came to end Yang's life, she moved faster than her she could fathom, and drew her sword.

She stabbed Adam Taurus directly in the heart, and she felt everything stop.

Everything was so serene for a tiny, brief moment. She had only a second to grasp what has she just done, her face filled with shock in an instant, before trembling back, falling off on her ass. Adam just stood there, Gambol shroud wedged directly in his heart, and he started to vomit blood. He fell on his back, and Blake ran up to him, tears in her eyes.

"No, Adam! are you okay?! no..." Sure, she didn't care for him as a lover, and she couldn't stand to see the beast he became, but he was still important to her, and she didn't want to kill him. Alas, her instincts got the better of her, and she acted without even realizing what had happened.

The impaled Adam looked up, to see his love care for him. "S-*cough* So, you finally did it. You killed someone."

"Please, don't say that. I'm sure you'll be okay." Blake tried to rationalize his wound, even though she knew it was pointless. She could repress it forever, but the truth laid bare before her: She, Blake Belladonna, killed her mentor, and this was something inescapable.

"No, I-I won't." He said as he raised Wilt and Blush to her. "Take them." He asked "Take them and continue where I stopped. This world needs to change, and I know you can do it."

She was almost tempted to listen to him, but just before taking his weapons, she pulled back her hand. "No." She whispered. "I can't. Not like this"

His face twisted in a single moment of a serene calm to an expression of anger coupled with disappointment "Than burn forever in your own despa!..." He breathed his final breath before stopping to move, finally leaving this world.

Blake didn't know what to do with herself. She felt dirty and uncomfortable with every movement she did. She wanted to escape again, to hide from the world, but her newfound will didn't let her. She was stuck again, for an eternity, in a struggle with herself. Suddenly she felt an arm leaning on her shoulder. She saw Yang, now on her legs, leaning on her.

"You okay?" Yang asked calmly. Blake didn't know how to answer, holding her head in her hands as a severe migraine overtook her from all the grief. Yang just took a small breath and put the Dust Celica on Blake's chest, near the heart, and let her aura flow through it. Blake felt this warmness, and her pain began to disappear. But the wound in her heart didn't. She had no idea what to do with herself.

"I. I don't know..." Blake started to cry, and Yang sat her down with her and let Blake rest on her thighs.

"Shhh, It's okay. No matter what happens, I'll be here for you Blakey." Now that Yang knew how Blake felt about her, she felt a burden lift itself from her body. She could finally admit to her as well.

"But how can I live with myself now Yang? What can I even go on now...?" Fears and phobias began to creep into her mind, about how she would now start to be like Adam, each killing making her closer to her former comrade. Yang just saw the fear on her face and started to pet her, playing a bit with her short, black hair.

"You do it one day at a time. This is war, Blake." She looked deep into her yellow eyes, "And wars are never a happy thing. You can also start by removing this." Yang pulled Blake's silicon bow off, revealing her cat ears. "The first step in accepting the world is accepting yourself. It took me a really long time to understand that."

Blake felt that she needed to let the tears run out on their own, and Yang sat with her all the way through. They took a moment to look around, and besides the broken warehouse and the knocked out bodies of the other White Fang members, the sun looked beautiful as it set the sky ablaze.

"I love you too, Blake." Yang said after a short while, causing them both to blush in embarrassment, though it was still hard for Blake to distract herself from Adam's death.

"R-Really?" She asked nervously.

"Yup. I can tell how I feel much more clearly now. And now that I know you feel the same, I don't want to hide it anymore."

"Yang, I-I don't know what to say..." Blake felt kind of relieved at the two-sided confession. She was still horrorstruck, but now there was a tiny glimmer of light back inside of her. She had Yang, and for now, it was enough.

The sun was on the verge of completely eclipsing as Yang moved above Blake, lowered her head, and the two kissed for the first time.

As the evening set, they went back to Glynda's camp, Blake driving. She decided to take Wilt and Blush with them, a least as a memento from the man she used to love, even though she had no intention of using it. She was just not ready for that yet. Glynda welcomed them back, noticing Blake's ears were out in the open, and upon seeing the two's condition, speculated what had transpired and decided not to ask them of the details right away. She gave a bed to sleep on, and left them to their own devices, looking at the moonlight and watching over the sleeping children. She saw Ooblek coming to her as he sat beside her and pulled his thermos. He offered her some of his coffee before speaking.

"I see they've returned." He said and took another sip of his drink.

"Yes, but for now let them rest. They suffered enough, and they earned it, fair and square."

"I know. But we can't take it easy yet just because the White Fang are out the picture for now." Ooblek quickly inferred the basics of what happened from the way Glynda glanced in the two's direction. "There are still too much grimm in the area, even with Qrow teaching some of them how to fight, I doubt we'll manage to fully retake Vale yet."

Glynda gave him a faint smile and filled a cup with some of Oobleck's coffee. It was dark and bitter, but it would keep her awake for now. "We still have time. We just need to not lose our trust in each other."

Meanwhile, a cloaked person watching the two huntresses sleeping. They saw the faunus, unable to sleep, opening a small book, and starting to write down her feelings. The figure, hidden fully under the cover of darkness, paid special attention to the blonde huntress, sleeping soundly, with an arm made entirely of dust.

"Perhaps you will soon be ready, Yang..."


	11. A Small Respite

Yang took her time and slept in this morning. Finally, after an almost an entire week of action and battles, she had the luxury of allowing herself to wake up whenever her body wanted to, and seeing as she was seriously beat from yesterday, she figured it could take a while. Even after her consciousness returned to the small, broken room she and Blake were in, her body refused to get up yet, and she allowed it to rest as much as needed. Her looked to her side, and saw Blake, her now lover, sleeping tightly and closely to her, with the book professor Ooblek gave them yesterday half open in her hand. she took a glance at the faunus girl, who looked so peaceful while sleeping, and saw how here and there Blake's face twitched, apparently from a nightmare. Yang pulled her close, and hugged her tight, letting Blake feel her warmth until she stopped twitching and regained her tranquility.

Outside, Glynda paced around their small room, not wanting to interfere with their slumber. The two had a really rough day yesterday, and even though getting the information on the specifics from them was important, she just couldn't bring herself to wake them both up by force. Qrow walked up to her, with a mundane expression on his bearded face, and tried to stop her from fidgeting.

"Just let them rest, Glynda. We'll talk to them when they are ready."

"I know, but look at the evidence." She said as they peered in through a small window on the outside, and saw Wilt and Blush, Adam Taurus, Leader of the White Fang's weapons.

"How do you assume they got THAT?" she said just above a whisper.

"I assume we'll know when they decide to tell us." Qrow frowned a bit, knowing that Glynda was right. "But for now, let's just assume they did what had to be done." He said and turned his head towards the rest of the encampment, looking as the human and faunus children played with one another and the more grown ones training in a courtyard they cleared for the purpose of preparing for a possible grimm or White Fang attack. "At least now we won't have to worry about those bastards trying to kidnap faunus children anymore..." It was funny to him, how the relations between the humans and faunus of Vale actually improved during this mayhem. In these times of strife and chaos, there was just no place for prejudice anymore, the faunus' night vision proving a worthy asset, and those who decided to stick with the needless hatred soon found themselves alone.

After a couple more hours of sleeping and snuggling, Yang finally had enough and rose up, partially dragging Blake with her, who woke soon after.

"Morning, Blakey." Yang said coyly and gave Blake a small peck on the lips.

"G-Good morning..." Yang saw that even though she slept a long time, Blake was still tired. The shock from yesterday's fateful skirmish still visible in her eyes. Yang didn't know how long it would take Blake to heal from this, but she decided to stay by her side all the way through, and nothing was going to change that for her.

The two got dressed and prepared for the day, and stepped outside in the spring sun, looking around. Glynda came to them, noticing Blake is still shaken, and asked them to come with her. Usually, this is where Glynda would bring them to her office and question them about what happened to hear their side first hand, however, she did not have a building designated for that, so she just took them to a secluded area on the outside, where any of the kids rarely showed up.

"So, I assume your sneak attack succeeded."

Yang wanted to respond, but Blake stopped her before she could say anything. "Y-Yes, " Blake said with a monotone voice, "We- I killed Adam Taurus." She tried saying that as calmly as possible, but she just couldn't do it without her voice cracking. She felt weak for a moment before Yang caught her in her arms and let her rest some more.

"As you can see," Yang continued. "We don't have to worry about the White Fang anymore. I'll be surprised if the rest of them would act up after what happened yesterday." Glynda couldn't believe what she heard: She knew Blake had a history with the White Fang, and thus with Adam, but never in her wildest dreams did she think Blake was capable of murder. Yang saw her face, and explained to her the details, as Blake lied in silence next to her.

"Blake, listen to me please." Glynda turned to the faunus, and spoke as soothingly as possible. "I know what it feels like, to do something you never wanted to do, especially like that." She tried to choose words that won't trigger Blake's emotions that hard, but it wasn't easy considering how things went down. "But you have to remember running won't solve anything. You have all of us here for you, and while I know it might sound horrible, what you did would save the lives of many in the future. Adam used his resources to plan raids on us, sometimes looking for you, and sometimes even going after the human children."

Blake got up, and looked at Glynda, feeling a bit better after hearing that. Perhaps, the end justified the means... She tried to concentrate not on the death of the man, but on the lives of those to follow, and faked a small smile. "Thank you, Glynda, I'll keep that in mind."

They spent the rest of the day doing nothing, and just appreciating the moment, except telling Qrow, Ooblek and other adults about the state of the White Fang. The more Blake saw what she protected with Adam's death, the more it dawned on her the state of the world around her. She couldn't go back to hiding any longer. From now, She promised herself, I'll see this to the very end. She felt the slow wind going through her ears, as it made her shiver a little because she wasn't used to walking around with them revealed like that, usually covered by her bow or something. But this was something she had to conquer if she wanted to be able to go on, and abandon her past, lonely self. Kids would come from time to time, cheerfully inviting them to play, and being curious what's behind Yang's bandages. She just swiped the questions under the rug, usually with a pun about hands, or by distracting them with something else. Yang didn't know how they would react to the Dust Celica, so she opted to keep it hidden for now.

Finally, after a long day of relaxing, Qrow called the pair and requested their presence in a meeting with the rest of the huntsmen and huntresses, including a few of the teenagers that were already old enough to be in the know about the going ons in Vale. They arrived at the meeting place, only to see everyone was waiting for them, and sat down with the rest.

"So, as we all know, the White Fang are out of the picture for now." Glynda got up and addressed the group "But even though this is definitely good news, we still have no reason to relax. The grimm are still all over the place, and it will take time until the children could fight back, even with the great strides they have made under Qrow's tutelage." She turned to the group paused for a moment. "So, where do we go from here?"

Blake and Yang considered their options. They could stay and help them rebuild, and one quick glance at Blake's face told Yang she wanted to get away for now from the area, and decided to speak up.

"I think the two of us will stay for a short while, but eventually, after me and Blake have recovered, we will leave and go search for my sister."

A few gasps were heard in the small crowd, but Qrow got up and silenced everyone. "I get that, Yang, but we really need you here right now. With your abilities, we might be able to clear out the grimm."

"You don't need me to kill a few grimm" Yang said slightly agitated. She wasn't here to be told what to do, and so far Blake and her mental health were higher on her priority list than the camp. She knew they could handle it, seeing as each of them was a more than a capable huntsman. "You have each other, and teamwork will get far longer than relying on a single fighter." The group discussed this a bit more, some agreeing and some not, until Glynda cleared her throat and the rest hushed.

"Xiao Long is right. We have started to train those able to amongst the children, and though I agree that with Yang and Blake's help things will go smoother, I believe miss Belladonna staying here won't do her any good, so I'll allow it." With that, no else spoke up against Yang's decision. Blake looked at her, looking like a great weight was removed from her.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it Blakey." Yang said and pulled her close to a small kiss, making a few of the teens nervous to look in her direction.

Clearly, if there is one thing she still has to learn, its restraint. Qrow thought to himself as the conversation continued. Eventually, they all decided to call it a day as Yang and Blake stayed to appreciate the view, the sky becoming darker and darker until only the broken moon shone brightly above them, the stars filling the night sky, no longer being hidden by street lights and buildings. The two took a long moment to appreciate the scenery, and sat in silence for a while, merely enjoying each other's company.

"Yang, did you mean all that?" Blake finally broke the silence.

"Which part?"

"Going after your sister." Blake obviously did care for her friend, but she still had to know what made Yang want to go after her all that time.

"Yeah, I meant it. I need to know that she is okay, and see it with my own eyes. I also want to reunite with everyone." She paused when she wasn't sure Blake understood is she meant all four of them. "Including Weiss. She may have it the easiest of us right now, but she is still our teammate, and we can't be team RWBY without the W."

"I guess you're right." Blake grinned. She hadn't thought of her time with her friend at Beacon for quite a while now, even as she hid in its ruins. The thought of seeing them again just never occurred to her, but now she heard Yang's plan, and thought about how she could help protect everyone, she could feel a glint of an emotion she never thought she could direct at herself: Forgiveness. Sure, she still had a long way to go, but she was feeling quite better compared to her state not much more than twenty-four hours ago.

They fell asleep out in the open, in each other's embrace, with only Qrow showing up later to at least cover them in a blanket.

In the following week, Blake and Yang would focus on recovery and basic training to make sure they won't go dull from lack of combat. They joined the combat classes held by Qrow, not necessarily for their own improvement, as he still had to hold back for the teenagers who until a few days ago never picked up a weapon before. They sparred with a few of them, and although the kids never really stood a chance between Yang's Dust and Blaze Celica's or Blake's ability to strike from three to four directions at the same time, they enjoyed fights that didn't include emotional scarring and life or death situations. After a few days of this, Qrow finally challenged them to a spar, wanting his students to see two full grown huntsmen in combat.

"Ready?" He asked, clearly eager to test himself against them.

Yang and Blake looked at each other, then turned their attention to Qrow. By now, they figured they could already leave, but they also wanted to see how far they've come against one who they knew could keep up with Ozpin himself.

"Ready!"

The two parties ran against each other, and Qrow pulled his blade for a vertical swing, only to be blocked by Yang's Dust Celica while Blake jumped the other way and used her semblance to attack him from the other way. He jumped high, turned his head towards the ground, and sped down towards the ground, seemingly going to impale one of them. The two rolled away from harm's path, and Yang ran up to Blake and held her hand. She threw Blake in the air, who used the momentum to send as many clones either spinning or outright dashing at Qrow as she could before she started to fall while her semblance gave her longer air time. As she fell, Yang caught her, and once again threw her, this time at Qrow directly. He anticipated this, however, and started to transform his weapon into its scythe configuration, preparing to swing at her. Blake utilized the scythe's broad surface to platform off of it into the air and delivered an overhead strike to him. Just as she was about to hit him, Qrow jumped back, using his semblance to transform his entire body to that of a bird, and flew around the battlefield, waiting for an opportunity. He thought Yang would try to shoot him down, only to realize shortly after that her new weapons did not have any long range features, which was to his advantage. He came, dashing towards her, transforming back in the perfection position for a decapitation, with Blake and Yang joining forces to hold his scythe off, catching it mid-air. They froze in place, before all three fell to the ground, Qrow from losing all of his momentum and the duo from the absorbing too much force from the attack. They huffed for a minute or so, until Qrow got up and went to them.

"Impressive, I never thought you could match me the way you did."

"We only could do it because we fought you two on one." Yang smiled back. Although they didn't technically win, she knew her uncle was no laughing matter, and that being able to tie with him was just as impressive, even together.

They spent the rest of the day hanging around, stocking up on supplies for their upcoming journey towards the west coast. As evening set and everyone sat down to eat, Qrow called them to the side and gave them a small leather bag.

Yang was curious. "So, what's in it?"

"A memento from your sister." Qrow replied. "I used to keep this little trinket on me for quite a while, but you can sense auras, right? That's what Ooblek told me." He opened the bag to reveal a small, red screwdriver. "So you'll need something that she used to have on her all the time." When it came to weapons, Ruby was a fanatic. Her weapon, Crescent Rose, was a scythe combined with a rifle she built on her own, though it's structure was somewhat complex and rigid, so it required constant maintenance from her. Yang knew she always came prepared with a small grindstone for the blade and a few tools like collapsible wrenches and small screwdrivers, as well is as screws themselves. Seeing her uncle with one of Ruby's tools didn't surprise her, she dropped them all the time, but it was a saving grace: Now she had a way to trace Ruby.

"Thank you Qrow. You really saved our asses with this one." She came to leave with Blake as Qrow grabbed her shoulder.

"Just promise me you'll keep her safe okay? For me and for your father."

Yang turned to look at Blake. The faunus was looking at her with a genuine smile, and for the first time in quite a long while, Yang had a feeling that things might actually turn out fine in the end.

"Yeah. I promise."

Finally, the big day came. Yang already used Ruby's screwdriver to pinpoint her exact location, so all they had to do now was be on their way. After packing up making some final preparations, They checked their motorcycle, and saw it only had about half a tank full, deciding in the end to just use it until it ran out of gas, and from there find another way to travel the rest of the continent, hoping they might come across a small settlement on the way. Even though the main city of Vale fell, most smaller towns continued to exist, seeing no major difference in grimm activity, alas the support of the main kingdoms was gone, so they were on their own. These towns by no means were ever truly safe, having none of the natural defenses Vale had. Then again, the city still crumbled, so there were no guarantees either way. Yang got on the bike and Blake straddled behind her, strapping Wilt & Blush to the back of the bike. Glynda and the rest of the children came to say their goodbyes and wish them safe travels.

"Ready Blake?" Yang asked eagerly, rearing to hit the road.

"Yeah." Blake still had Adam's death to accept, but for now, she could put it aside for the person she loves. They will find Ruby and Weiss, and when the dust finally falls she could deal with it.

"Let's go."


	12. Roaming The Land of Vale

The two huntresses drove mostly in silence through the rubble that used to be the upper-class district of Vale. They were already on the edge of town, reaching the forest of Forever Fall. The forest was a wide and large area on the continent, hosting a myriad of animals and creatures, including many types of grimm. The motorcycle already broke down near the border between the city and the trees, and Yang and Blake took their bags and decided to go on foot for now, with Blake carrying both her Gambol Shroud and Wild & Blush. She was still uncomfortable having it strapped to her like that, but it was either this or leaving it on the ground next to a worn, gas less bike. They traversed the forest, Yang occasionally pulling her sister's small screwdriver and clutching it in her right hand, letting it guide her to where Ruby was, while Blake kept watch. Using the trace ability, though not necessarily dangerous to Yang in it of itself, did attract grimm in the close vicinity towards them, which meant is they weren't careful they would have to fight their way through the entire forest. In hindsight, it was probably not such a hot idea to drive in this general direction in the first place, but nonetheless the choice was already made, and there was nothing they could about it now. The one upside there was to this was that they could extract the sap from some of the trees, giving them another source of nourishment while not expanding the supplies they gathered at Glynda's camp in Vale. The sun shone high as the two decided to take a small break and get some food, mostly consisting of the sap and some river water they collected a while back.

"You know Blakey" Yang said with her moth half full "I never really got a chance to really look at this forest for all its beauty. I mean everything if red! How pretty is that?"

"I guess it is" Blake smiled at her back. As a child, she grew outside the walls, so roaming forests wasn't anything new to her, and she stopped paying any special attention to the way the trees looked a long time ago, though she couldn't deny there was a certain charm to eating in a clearing, surrounded by red leaves.

The two sat and ate, until suddenly a voice came from one of the bushes nearby. They jumped and prepared themselves for battle, heading carefully towards the bush to see what hid in there. A small boarbatusk jumped from it, and the two dodged its headbutt, as it turned over to attack the two. The grimm, clearly too young for its own good, was dispatched easily, but nonetheless, if it was in the area, bigger grimm could also be afoot, so the two left as quickly as they finished hastily eating.

"I guess the forest will have to wait for another time then..." Yang said, a little disappointed her lunch had to be cut short. However, she realized this was for the best, and that grimm are only going to get more and more powerful from now on.

As the days past, the two reached even the end of the forest. Before them, stretched the endless tundras of Vale, and the two had to cover them all by foot. Yang wondered how did Ruby manage to get so far, but it wasn't such a concern to her: She had Blake with her, and her Dust Celica on top of that, so she was sure they were going to make it out there. The journey was tiring, to be sure, but the duo persevered and went on. It was after a month or so of traveling in the wilderness and fighting grimm that the two started to run short on food, while covering only about a third of the way. Even the sap from Forever Fall began to dwindle. They decided to look for a settlement, with Yang using her ability to try and find any auras around them. Luckily, it seemed there was a group of people nearby, only a half a day away, south-east of them. The trace, however, came at a price: They could both feel the ground rumbling, as it became apparent something big headed in their direction.

"We take it head on." Yang decided.

"Are you insane?" Blake protested "None of the grimm we've out here so far even come close to this! The ones in Vale are nothing compared to these monstrosities!"

"Except this thing is alone. We have the two of us." Yang insisted. "And besides, we can't risk this thing following us to those people. It would be a slaughter." Yang hadn't thought her sentence through, and the use of the word slaughter caused Blake to shiver. "Oh, sorry, I didn't me-"

"It's fine, you're right." Blake stopped her. "We have to protect those people too, and that's exactly what's going to happen." Yang was happy to see her partner fueled with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, that's the spirit!" Yang pumped herself up and called upon the Blaze Celica, letting her Dust Celica out as well. Blake considered her options for a second and decided on drawing Gambol Shroud. She didn't want to use Wilt & Blush, but if worse came to worst...

After a few minutes of waiting in silence, They finally saw it in the distance: A single goliath was heading towards them, its tusks looking sharp and glinting in the sun, much like Yang's arms. Though it was in the distance, they could tell it was running very fast for grimm of that size, and it would soon reach them. They, however, had the element of time on their side, and they had a small frame of opportunity to strategize.

"Okay" Blake said with haste "goliath's backs are as tough as diamonds, so there's no point in going for a direct assault on its front. Also, they are highly intelligent, seeing how old they usually are, so we'll have to be on our toes the entire time. This thing could outsmart us if we're not careful."

"Any weak points?" With all the books Yang read during her time in Patch, she rarely had any books about grimm, most of them being myths and the books about dust she needed to develop Dust Celica.

"We should aim for the stomach." Blake continued. By now the grimm was going to catch up with them in only a few minutes. "Not many hunters survived an encounter with a goliath, but those who did only managed to hurt it in the lower belly area."

"And now we have to KILL one." Yang sighed.

The two saw as the grimm was getting bigger and closer, and charged at it as well. The grimm, unimpressed at the two creature's valor, simply raised its snout and lashed it at their direction, using it as a whip. Yang acted quickly, grabbing it, and holding the grimm in place as much as she could while Blake ran under it, and used her clones to stab the beast multiple times in succession. Even being hurt, the grimm carried on, and let itself fall on its stomach, trying to smash the faunus under its massive weight.

"Blake, no!" Yang shouted as she pulled as with near inhuman strength, actually managing to move the goliath out of her way. When the dust cleared, she didn't see Blake anywhere. She began to worry, and rage started to fill her heart.

"YOU!" She shouted, her eyes turning red, her semblance giving her even more power. She lashed at the giant grimm, and gave it a punch directly in its face, causing the bony plates on it to crack. She held on to the beast, rapidly punching it.

"GIVE. ME. BACK. MY. GIRLFRIEND!" The grimm was pushed back by her sheer force. However, in her rage she didn't notice Blake running next to the grimm's legs, having used her semblance to avoid a direct hit from the giant elephant. She tried to call for Yang, but it was no use. The huntress was too consumed by anger to notice anything at the moment. Blake decided to act quickly, drawing her sword once more and sending copies of herself at the grimm's belly, constantly slashing it, until the beast couldn't take it any longer. It fell to the ground, though not dead just yet, it's mask almost shattered, but somehow still holding on to its face. Yang finally heard Blake's call to her, her jumped down to her lover, giving her a tight hug with tears in her eyes.

"I thought I lost you for real..." She said with sorrow. "Please don't do this again, Blake... It's barely been two months, I can't risk losing you. Not now, not like this."

"I'm okay, really." She tried to convince her friend that she was fine, and that the grimm didn't hurt her that bad. The goliath, still kicking, staggered to get up, eventually managing to do so. The two huntresses quickly turned towards it, as it was clear that his mask should be vulnerable enough to break this time. They focused their attacks on its face area, and with the goliath's vision impaired from all the bone fragments in its line of sight, it just stood there, only managing to avoid every other hit.

"Okay, Blake! Let's finish this!" Yang called with adrenaline rushing through her.

"Let's!" Blake called back. They jumped onto its head, focusing their aura into their palms for one final attack. After a few seconds, they hit the grimm as hard as they could, and its mask shattered, leaving the monster practically blind, due to its eyes being completely pierced. Bone shards flew in all direction, before landing on the ground around them and evaporating into black smoke. From there, it didn't stand much of a chance, the two huntresses' combat prowess being at their peak. They managed to halt its movement using Gambol Shroud's ribbon part as a tripping rope, and the beast collapsed on itself, finally dead. They stood to admire their progress over the last few months as the grimm slowly disintegrated into the air.

"Wow, I can't believe we managed to kill a GOLIATH!" Yang said, happy with herself. "I can't wait to tell Ruby about this! She'd be so jealous." A devilish look crept on to her face.

"You can say that once we find her first." Blake tried to focus on their next target, and quickly redirected them in the direction of the supposed settlement. After walking for about half an hour, they saw a tall man with a big hat approaching them. He looked like he was around his 30s, and wore a simple vest covering a white shirt with work pants, housing a gun holster with a dust pistol in it.

"You two took down a goliath." He said with a gruff voice. "That ain't somethin' normal people can do. Who're you?"

"Howdy! Name's Yang" Yang replied with a similar accent, surprising Blake with her ability to mimic such nuances with her speech. "This here is my Girlfriend, Blake. We coming from Vale, headed towards the west coast."

"Vale? Bullcrap. Last I heard the place was overrun with grimm." He finally noticed Yang's Dust Celica, and he squinted his eyes to make sure he wasn't hallucinating from thirst or something. "And what in the name o' tarnation is THAT?!"

"God dammit" Yang sighed. It was really tiring, explaining this every single time someone saw her arm. She was so used to her new limb by now it didn't even seem strange to her anymore, so why must she always memorize what to say in order to make sure people didn't think she was some kind of monster or something?

The man looked at her annoyed face and got the hint "Y'know what? Forget I asked. In this parts anything goes, so if you had a good reason to do THAT to yourself, I ain't judgin'"

"THANK YOU!" Yang exclaimed. Finally, someone who gets it!

"But in all seriousness," The man gave them a stern look. "What're you lot even doing near my family?"

"We were just passin' by, wondered if we could get some supplies for the road." Yang didn't want to tell him how she managed to locate his village. It was enough for her that he didn't question Dust Celica, but aura sensing? That was just pushing it.

"Well, ya did kill a grimm menacing this area for quite a while now..." He pondered for a few seconds. "Ah, what the hell. Anyone able to kill a grimm that size must be worth their words. Come with me, you two. I'll get you some warm beds and some food." He told them as it occurred to him he forgot to introduce himself to the girls. "Name's Flynt, by the way. Flynt Greenwood"

"Pleased to meat ya, Flynt." Yang gave him a smile as they started to walk towards the settlement.

"Likewise." Blake tried to sound as polite as she could. Even though she opened up to Yang, she still had a few issues when interaction with stranger humans, especially now that her identity as a faunus wasn't a well-guarded secret. She followed him until they reached his small area surrounded by a few trees, about ten or so caravans parked in the area. He showed them to his caravan and gave them some blankets for the night.

"You said you headed for the west coast, right?"

"Yeah." Yang replied as the three talked over a campfire. "What of it?"

"Well, our trading route just happens to be to the west for now. You stick with us and help with protection, we'll get you girls to where you need to go."

"Sounds like a plan, but this isn't only my decision." Yang turned to Blake "Only if you're okay with this."

Blake looked around to see the nomads. There were twenty-something people in the group, but no faunus in sight. "Why are there no faunus with you?" Blake inquired. She didn't want to assume the worst, but she had to know before saying yes.

"Didn't know that was a requirement." Flynt sounded a tad curious she would care that much. "But there's no special reason. All of us just happened to be human, and maybe except old Vern over there." He pointed towards one of the older nomads. "None of us really has any problem with you guys."

Well, if it's just one person, I can deal with that. Blake thought to herself. "Then okay, I'm in."

"Then it's settled!" Yang said with joy. "I always wanted to try traveling in a band. This would really get things along!"

Over the rest of their journey, Yang, Blake and Flynt's Crew made their way over the tundras, while Yang and Blake helped protect the small group from passing grimm, roaming the many areas of Vale. Finally, the time came, and they reached the nomad's destination: A small fishing settlement on the west coast of Vale. The small village was apparently quite fortified, and its residents, though friendly enough, had a mistrusting aura to them. They could tell this was due to the possibility of war: Mankind was not as trusting of each other as it used to be, and it was becoming evidently clear that if things continue this way, it was only going to get worse.

"So, "Flynt asked the pair shortly after arriving. "You got to the coast. What now?"

"We search for my sister, Ruby".

"Wait." One of the Villagers called to her. "You're her sister?!"

Yang was just as surprised to see that Ruby arrived at this village as well, apparently taking the route through the Emerald Forest instead. It was a very pleasant turn of events, as now she had their trust much more easily.

"So, any idea where she went?"

"Not really, you'll have to ask around. I left on a small trip myself when she was still here, and when I came back a few days later she was already gone. You'll have to ask around to see who helped her."

After the caravans left, leaving the two huntresses with some more food and other supplies for the coming road, the two toured around the small village, looking for information about Ruby and the rest of team JNPR. Most of the people seemed to remember the group, some with less positively than Yang would like, though in this case this wasn't Ruby's fault, but just due to Nora's regular Shenanigans. After a day's search, they finally got an answer from one of the older fishermen: Ruby hired his crew to give her a ride across the ocean after saving the village from a beowulf pack about four months ago, and wanting to repay the favor, they agreed to make the journey for her.

"Any chance one of you makes that journey for the two of us?"

The fishermen looked at the two girls and judged them carefully, wanting to see proof that Yang's was, in fact, Ruby's sister, for the two looked barely alike. Yang shrugged and told him a few facts only the real Ruby could tell, such as a few details about her weapon, which seemed enough for the old man, seeing as he's heard his fair share of Ruby's ramblings about Crescent Rose. He called for a few younger men and told them he needed them to transport the two young woman over the sea, and after a couple hours of preparations they were on their way.

As night set, Blake went outside of the small fishing boat, wanting to watch the waves. They were told the trip should take about two and a half days, seeing as the distance between them and Mistral's coasts weren't that far apart. She saw Yang, sitting on the deck, watching the stars already, and deciding to join her.

"Can't sleep as well, huh?"

"Yeah, pretty much. I can't believe we are actually on a ship already, heading to an entirely different continent." Yang paused for a second and looked into Blake's eyes. "Do you think she's okay out there, by herself? I mean, I know she has our friends with her, but I'm still worried about her so much. Especially in a place like Mistral. I don't have to tell you what kind of place that is."

This time, Blake let Yang lie down and rest her head on her. "Yeah, I'm sure she's just fine. You know your sister, and she can put up a fight when she needs."

"Yeah, I know. Thanks for reassuring me." Yang felt better as the two sat with each other throughout the night. Eventually, they reached the coasts of Mistral, the air feeling alien to them in some ways. The fauna had a different color too, But at least from here on they didn't have to travel by sea anymore. They parted the fishing crew, whom already started to make the journey back home, leaving Blake and Yang alone on the shore line.

"So, are you ready?" Blake looked into her lover's eyes and saw her getting fired up.

"Yeah," Yang said Exhilarated.

"Let's go find my sister."


	13. The Red Angel

The Lands of Mistral weren't as welcoming as Yang and Blake initially thought, even with the already shady tendencies of the state. Fortunately, there were more stable smaller towns out in the open, and they could find places to sleep, but none of those towns were what they would call 'welcoming'. Everywhere they went, people looked at them with mistrusting eyes, as if they've seen hundreds like them before, seemingly waiting for a chance to mug them, or worse. Yang even had to put herself in tavern brawls in order to be able to pay for a night in a small, ransacked inn more than once. But eventually, after quite a while of traveling bogs and marshlands, they finally saw it the distance: The walls of Mistral, surrounded by miles and miles of swamp. Unlike Vale, whose territorial advantage against the grimm was its high altitude and the forests covering its area, Mistral had surrounded itself with swampland, seeing as grimm had a difficult time even getting to the walls, let alone breaking through them. As they got closer to the city, they started to notice more and more odd details: The walls were heavily fortified and constantly patrolled by militia, and there seemed to be refugee camps attached to the walls in a couple of places. Yang saw this and held her sister's screwdriver, trying to be as discreet as possible, seeing they were relatively closer to her. She felt her sister's aura, as they screwdriver directed her at the general path to the city. Any more precise than that would attract grimm to them, and although Blake could probably take them on, Yang was pretty tired from weeks of beating drunkards and thugs in order to get some lien and a place to rest. They started to walk towards the Mistral, as the quietness of the waters around them dampened anything clean that could have thrived there.

"You think she made it into the city itself?" Yang wondered, seeing as Ruby probably arrived in Mistral a few months before them.

"We'll have to get there directly to be sure, though I don't like this by the looks of it." Blake sounded a bit worried. Sure, she never traveled that far away from Vale, but even she could tell the situation wasn't that great over at the over kingdoms. with Vale gone, the rest of the kingdoms shut themselves out from each other, and even beyond that, Vale's CCT stood directly in the middle of Remnant, meaning that when it collapsed, communication between Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo became much harder to achieve.

It took the two a couple hours of walking to finally reach the city itself, and when they did, they noticed an atlesian soldier running towards them, his rifle armed and loaded. In the chaos, Atlas decided to make up for its failure in Vale by supplying weaponry and soldiers to the other kingdoms, in an effort to increase security against the now steadily increasing number of grimm.

"Halt! Identify yourselves!" He seemed stern and cold, almost as if he saw them as a nuisance rather than anything else.

Yang and Blake stared at him. His rifle didn't really stand a chance against Yang's Dust Celica, but causing trouble this early would be very unfavorable for the two since they needed as much help as possible to find Ruby inside Mistral, and painting a target on their faces for all the authority in the area was definitely going to delay them.

"We came from Vale." Blake decided to finally answer the man. "But what is the military of Atlas doing all the-"

"Refugees, huh?" The soldier ignored her question and pulled his scroll to report this to his superiors. He asked to see their scrolls, and after verifying that they were indeed from Vale itself, he led them to the closest camp in the area.

The camp, though looked relatively clean on the outside, quickly revealed itself as a hellhole: There were many from Vale that escaped after the dragon landed in there and pretty much ruined any chance of living a normal life, and after a few short days, the governing council of Mistral decreed to open this temporary camps for them to be in until they could sort this whole thing out. In truth, however, these ghettos were nothing more than a facade, used to detain the helpless civilians while those who could pay their way inside or prove their worth did. Yang and Blake did a quick tour of the perimeter, before realizing that Ruby could have still been around.

After asking around a few of the refugees, the picture became clear: Some did recognize her, but not in name. It seemed that Ruby, Nora, Jaune and Ren went around the various camps, and while attempting to get inside Mistral, also helped protect the people from rogue grimm who dared to get too close, while the atlesian army decided they weren't worth their time. Suddenly, a scream came from the near east, and the duo turned around to see a young woman run towards the center of the camp, fear in her eyes. She was covered in mud and swamp water, as though she ran from all the way from another camp.

"What happened?!" Yang sprang right into action, holding the lady down by her shoulders and trying to calm her down.

"Please, you have to help me! My child and I were separated by a grimm! The red angel is keeping then at bay, but she won't be able to hold on much longer!"

"Don't worry, we're on it!" Yang called, and Blake followed suit. It didn't take long for Yang and Blake to figure out who she was referring to.

the two immediately ran in the direction she came from. It only took them a couple of minutes to reach the other camp, only to see people running away, while abnormally large pack of beowulves, led by not one, but TWO alphas, tore the camp apart. Just as they came to stop the grimm, they heard a rifle shot piercing the air, followed by a huge THUMP and a few swings from a sword.

"RUBY!" Yang called and ran even faster, making it harder to keep up with her for Blake. They ran straight through the wall of the encampment, Yang practically breaking through the wall with her bare fists, to finally see her sister, in her usual combat attire, complete with a black combat skirt, a big red cloak, and her rose insignia. Behind her, a small child and cowering, as one of the alphas was about to claw her out.

* * *

For Ruby, this day was NOT going well as she intended: Finally, after months of waiting and guarding the other refugees, she and her friends were allowed to enter Mistral's main city. The amount of paperwork they had to fill and the comities they had to appeal to was astonishing, but Ruby persevered. As much as she was aware, the rest of team RWBY were out of commission for now, so she felt it was up to her to go on and protect those she cared about. The journey was long, but she, Jaune, Nora, and Ren did their very best and tried to hold on to their hope, but the more they travelled through Mistral, the more they realized the people around them didn't think the same way: They were betrayed by a guide that promised to lead them through one of the marshes, which resulted in Ruby having to waste most of her ammo already fighting bandits and other types of lowlifes. Even when they finally reached the city gates, they were held back, seemingly by some bullshit bureaucracy, put there for the sole purpose of detaining refugees and others from outside the walls. And even now, when everything finally checked out, and they could already smell the fresh air on the other side, this shit happens, forcing her and her team to stay back and fight the monsters the goddamn ARMY decided not to waste any manpower on. She was already on the very end of her last cartridge, and her aura was in bad shape. Meanwhile, a small child stood behind her, she literally being the only bring standing between him and certain death. The child's mother ran to call for help, but she doubted anyone would bother, while her friends were too busy on their ends as well, Nora actually starting to tire out, Ren having dislocated his arm in the middle, and Jaune, while did getting stronger over the course of their journey, still stood no actual chance against such opponents, and besides minor beowulfs, mostly helped the rest of the people to escape to the other camps.

"Miss angel, I'm scared..." She heard the child whisper behind her and didn't have anything else to say.

"Don't worry kid, I'll make sure you see your mommy again, so just hold tight." She said without even having the luxury of looking back to look at him. She pulled the trigger on Crescent Rose, only to hear a faint _clunk,_ signaling she was officially out of bullets. She morphed her weapon to its scythe mode, and prepared for her final stand. She started to focus her aura, directing it to her eyes. The last time she used this power, it landed her the title of angel amongst the people here, but it also left her blacked out for an entire week. _I guess there no other choice..._ She thought to herself as she felt her eyes swelling with power. She still only started to grasp how to control her silver eyes. According to legend, in ancient times, those with silver eyes were meant to be great warriors, protection mankind from the creatures of grimm. Even a single stare from one was enough to fell the beasts though Ruby hasn't quite got there just yet. Each time she used this power, she felt it enveloped her, and everything would go white, then dark. She couldn't control it per se, and it overflowed, ridding them of all grim around at the cost of her consciousness for an extensive period of time. She hated to use it, but it was either dying or sleeping for god knows how long.

"RUBYYYYY!" She suddenly heard a voice call to her, breaking her concentration, as a yellow flash came out of nowhere, shoving a golden fist into the beast. It took a moment for the impact to affect the grimm, which sent it flying all across the camp. She turned around for a second, only to see the child gone, having been taken to safety by a black shadow, which dissipated shortly after. The two new characters finally stopped moving, and Ruby could finally recognize who they were.

"Yang, Blake! I can't believe it! How did yo-"

"Fight now, talk later." Yang quickly silenced her, and ruby snapped out of her shock and resumed her fighting stance. Blake came to her and gave her a bunch of dust shaped bullets. she quickly got the hint, and loaded her rifle with the strange bullets, to find they surprisingly fit her weapon's specifications, though just barely. They were a little too small, obviously meant for a smaller gun like Gambol Shroud's, but it will do for now. The alpha staggered back onto its legs, and gave a shriek, as the other one joined its side against the new assailants. The trio ran up to them, as Ruby's head became an endless stream of questions.

_Wow! How did they even get here? And why is Blake carrying a second weapon on her? And what's up with those bullets she gave me? And look at Yang! fighting as if she never lost her, a r m..._ She took a quick glance to see her sister's right arm, completely made of crystal, as she punched one of the alphas in the face, while her left arm, which also seemed to have been changed in a similar manner, holding her to it by its fur.

_WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YANG'S ARM?!_

She didn't have time to react to the whole situation completely, as Yang jumped around one of the alphas, constantly keeping it on the ropes. On the other end, there was Blake, whom she didn't even consider seeing anywhere besides the ruins in Vale. And on top of that, the weapon she carried, although she didn't use it at all, was another enigma in her mind. She had no idea whose weapon was that, but whoever it was, it was definitely not Blake's, though for some reason Blake didn't seem to reach for it at all, meaning she wasn't intending to use it at all.

Ruby switched to rifle form and started shooting the grimm, the new bullets having much more impact, despite their smaller size. She had to reserve her aura, seeing as she didn't have a lot left, letting Blake and Yang do the front-lines this time. A claw came at Blake, who used her semblance to dodge, and then fired another clone directly at the grimm while dashing towards its legs, and hitting it in two places at the same time, which also amazed Ruby, seeing how much the two members of her team improved. Yang, finally beating her alpha to a murky pulp, turned around to help Blake finish off the other one, while the rest of team JNPR, who seemed to have noticed the two huntress' combat prowess, focused on the lesser grimm, to secure the camp as quickly as possible. After a few more minutes of fighting, the grimm were all slain, ashe could finally catch her breath.

"Yang!" She called as her sister ran up to her, and gave her a tight hug, slightly crushing Ruby under the sheer force of Yang's dust enhancements.

"Hey, Rubes." She said and looked at her sister's face. She has grown so much in the last nine months, and Yang's couldn't be happier to see her alive and well. "I'm here."

"Yang, you're crushing meee" Ruby choked the words out of her throat, for Yang to finally let go.

"Oops, sorry!" Yang laughed a bit and stepped back, giving Ruby some more space.

"But how did you two even get here?!" Ruby couldn't hold it in anymore, and shot a barrage of questions at the two. Yang told her about how she came to create the Dust and Blaze Celicas and go out on the journey to find her. They sat down, as Ruby couldn't stop listening to Yang's tales about her travels in Vale, finding Blake, and coming to get her as well. All the while, Blake sat with them, holding Yang's hand, which caused Ruby to blush a bit at the notion.

"We even killed a GOLIATH outside of the walls." Yang bragged, and Ruby gave her a skeptical look.

"You did NOT!" Ruby exclaimed. "I'm calling shenanigans!"

"Actually, she's telling the truth." Blake intervened "We really did that. Though it was mostly due to Yang's overwhelming strength."

"Oh you." Yang gave her a small kiss on her cheek. "You had just as much part in doing that. If it wasn't for you weakening it first, I would have never been able to break it's mask off."

"Wait, what?" Ruby was surprised from the unusual method by which they took out such a fearsome grimm. The stories continued, with Ruby getting entranced by her sister's accomplishments, and was even happy to hear her dad and uncle were doing just fine, each in his own way.

"By the way, Blake" Ruby pointed towards her other weapon. "Where did you get THAT?"

Blake sat in silence. Sure, it has been quite a while since Adam's death, but she still wasn't all comfortable just openly talking about it with other, and every time she felt the need, Yang would just sit with her until she felt better. "Just a memento." She swiftly said, Ruby quickly dropping the issue after seeing the hints of sadness in Blake's eyes. She also noticed Blake didn't hide her ears anymore, which at first seemed like a good thing to her, but after the awkward silence that came from her previous question, she felt like she shouldn't ask, letting Blake come to her when she felt enough at ease with it.

"So, this aside." Blake cut to the chase and continued the conversation, "We still need a way to get into Mistral."

"Oh, shoot!" Ruby just remembered she and her friends have a pass for today, but it was most likely too late. "I completely forgot about our passes!"

"Well, let's go anyway." Yang tugged her. "I'm sure they'll let us in after saving all these people.

* * *

"Absolutely not!" Yelled the sergeant in charge of the city gates.

"Why the fuck not?!" Yang shouted back. "We just saved the lives of everyone here! Don't we get at least SOME recognition?!" She was already pissed at the soldier, seeing as she the last three hours going from one authority figure to another, arguing about why they should let the six huntsmen into the city.

"And you heard me before: We. Don't. Care! As far we're concerned, you lot acted upon your own volition, with no regards to the atlesian force designated to dispatch of the problem!" The soldier's words sounded rehearsed, as if he had this argument with many before her.

"WAIT WHAT?!" Nora butted in. "You guys said there was NO one available!" She didn't really understand the entire nuances of what they talked about, but even she wasn't airheaded enough to miss a liar when she hears one.

"Look, my orders are clear." The captain repeated with cold indifference. "We are to make sure no fighting ensues between the Vale Refugees, and to eventually make sure they all find a place to stay within the city. However, such job is impossible within such the range of time we had, so we to help as many as we can."

"Yeah, more like those with the fattest wallets..." Ruby snarled back, and Yang decided she had enough.

"Still, what happened to my sister's pass huh?! Why won't you at least let HER in?"

The captain switched back to his rehearsed words. "She missed the time of passage, and will have to file the proper paperwork to get another one."

"Noooooooo!" Ruby said, falling to her knees. "If I have to fill another paper with the same information over and over, I'll go crazy!"

"You heard her." Yang came onto the tall man threateningly. "You are going to let us in there right here, right now."

"Or, else?" He asked with fear slightly showing in his eyes. He couldn't help it, seeing as Yang's demonstration of her power meant she was no laughing matter. "If y-you d-decide to break the law, we'll have no chance but to ban you entry, permanently!"

"Grrrrrrrr" Yang growled before stepping back. She knew he was right, and even if they didn't need to investigate Mistral's huntsmen academy, Haven, about the whereabouts of Cinder Fall and her motley crew, they still needed a ship to get the girls to Atlas, seeing as Weiss was defiantly not about to come to them. The group left, wandering around the walls and thinking what to do.

"You had to deal with this bullshit for the past four months?!" Yang was furious with the army at this point for treating her sister so poorly, her eyes were becoming red.

"No, it was fine, really" Ruby tried to calm her down, but she couldn't lie about it. The soldiers, while not attacking her for pulling her weapon and shooting things all the time, didn't interfere when she needed help protecting the other people, only saving refugees once every few attacks to keep up appearances. She was mad at them too, but she couldn't do anything, fearing they would block her out from Mistral completely.

"Besides, it wasn't THAT bad." Jaune added, "At least we had a place to sleep?"

"Hmm" Yang breathed and calmed herself down as much as she could, still being a little pissed. "The important thing is that for now, were together again." She paused for a moment before turning to her sister. "I really missed you, Ruby."

"I missed you too Yang." The two sisters embraced each other.

"Well, we should come up with a plan than" Ren thought out loud, and the group tried to come up with a way to enter Mistral, seeing as waiting in line and filling paperwork for another few months was NOT an option at this point. As they went back towards the main gate, they saw a small vehicle carrying a few huntsman heading towards the gate. As the hovercraft stopped close, they decided to investigate, maybe they could sneak in on one of those. The people in the vehicle stepped outside, as the driver haggled with the soldier in charge, showing him a bunch of tickets and signed dominants, trying to convince him they weren't sneaking in any refugees. Usually, they wouldn't let anyone leave the car until it reached its destination, but the soldier seemed especially skeptical, so he wanted to make a full search inside. As the huntsmen left the car, Ruby and her friends could definitely recognize one of them: Team SSSN's leader, the blonde haired monkey faunus, Sun Wu Kong. They ran up to him, and as he saw them his face went from tired to shocked.

"Sun, Heyyyy!" Ruby called to him, and he ran to them as well to greet them.

"What? You guys? How did you even get here?" He heard that there were refugees from Vale housed around the wall, but he had no idea his friends from Vale were there too. Ever since Vale fell, Haven started hiding information about the students there from its people, striking Sun as very suspicious. Even when he wanted to volunteer to help guard the camps, no one would let him, telling him to just let the atlesian army do their job. "Boy am I glad to see you're all okay." He looked at them and noticed Yang's arm, Dust Celica under wraps. "What happened to YOU?"

"Long story, I'll tell you later." She told him "AFTER you help us get into Mistral."

"Hmmm." Sun thought to himself. looking for a solution. He knew the city's structure like the back of his hand, and he tried to remember if there were any ways for them to sneak through.

"Wu Kong! We're leaving!" The G.I. called to him, and he had to get back in the vehicle, but not before pulling a piece of paper and charting a few quick scribbles, sneaking the note to Ruby using his tail. She pulled opened the note with her friends, and upon it, he drew them a general map of the walls around them, on which he marked a few spots that led through the sewers into the city itself.

"Well," Yang looked at the map with cheer. "Looks like we have a plan."

"Yup." Ruby looked towards the walls. "Here we come, Cinder Fall."


	14. The Investigation

Infiltrating Mistral was not as hard as the gang imagined. They waited until nightfall, when the guards shifted to smaller shifts, and snuck around the searchlights, heading for one of the four entry points Sun marked for them earlier that day. After finding the closest one, they each began to crawl through the tunnels, heading for inside the city. After an hour or so of practically swimming through sewage water, they finally emerged on the other side, in one of the city dumps, and made their way through all the garbage.

"Ugh, I can't believe we really just did that." Jaune took a rotten piece of pizza out of his hair. "But, we made it! Hello, Mistral!"

"Keep your voice down!" Yang whispered loudly as she bonked him on the head. "And stay close. It isn't safe until I say it's safe."

Finally exiting the dump, the group looked around and scanned their surrounding, making sure no soldiers were patrolling in the area. Mistral's streets, even in the dark, looked a lot different than Vale's. All the buildings looked much older, and the streets even crummier, though that could have been just a specific detail of the current district.

"Ah, you're here, just like Sun said." They heard a voice coming from one of the streets, and a slim, male figure wearing a cloak approached them.

"Neptune?" They all recognized his voice right away, seeing as he and Sun hung out with them all across the preparations for the Vytal Festival, even since the exchange students arrived at Beacon. He took his hood off, revealing his striking blue hair.

"Yup. Sun told us you were here, and we decided she should check all the sewer entrances to make sure we didn't miss you guys." He started to head back and signaled them with his hand. "Follow me. I'll show you to a safe place."

They started to tail Neptune through the various allies and streets of Mistral, heading towards its equivalent of Vale's industrial district, until reaching one of the many buildings, which seemed abandoned. Neptune pulled his scroll out of one of his pockets and positioned it next to a scanner hidden near the door, to which the door reacted and slowly opened itself. "Me and the guys had it installed in case someone tried to enter our, 'secret' hangout." He smirked to himself, leading his guests through the many corridors until reaching a large room, decorated and equipped with six beds. Sun, who was sitting on a small chair next to a computer screen in the corner of the room, heard them all come in and went to greet his friends.

"Great, you've made it!" He happily exclaimed, sending a message to the rest of his team to gather back at the hideaway.

"Wait, scrolls work?!" Ruby was surprised to see Sun sending his text message.

"Yeah, but only locally. We can't send or receive anything from any of the other kingdoms, so the CCT has been reconfigured to be independent a while back." He put his scroll down and took a long look at the dirty crew. "But let's talk about that later. I think what you guys need most about now is a shower." He pointed them towards another small room to the side, where they discovered a small showerhead and some soap. "Yeah me and the guys found this abandoned warehouse when we were, like, only freshmen at Haven. After coming here to hang out for so long, we finally decided to renovate a little, but that's the best we could do on a student's budget. You guys are welcome to stay here for as much as you're in Mistral, but you'd rather not go outside. The council decided every Vale refugee needs a pass in order to stay in Mistral, and seeing as you guys don't have any, you shouldn't leave here during the day, although even the nights can be tricky nowadays."

"How come?" The wondered.

"When Vale fell, the last thing people on the outside saw was grimm, chaos, and the White Fang. No one is sure who to trust anymore from the outside, so people have been very suspecting of outsiders as of late. Hell, even our regular school schedule has been altered to induce a more military style environment, but I'm sure none of us are having it as hard at Atlas."

"I've only heard rumors about what is going on there, and trust me, it's not pretty." Neptune continued. "And the worst part is, thanks to Atlas's military intervention in all the other kingdoms, it's becoming the center of power on Remnant. So yeah, things are pretty much going to shit."

"Not if we have a say in it." Yang raised her fist in defiance. "If anything will try to hurt me or my friends," She looked at them all and felt her soul burn. "Then trust me, human or grimm, they won't live to see another sunrise."

"Yang's right." Blake stood up as well. "We can't just give up because things seem hard. All those people need up to protect them, and if we won't do it, then who will?"

"That's my Blakey!" Yang jumped in her with a hug. "Now, let's finally go clean ourselves. I'll even let you wash _meee_ " Yang whispered seductively and she and Blake went together to the small shower to clean up, grabbing two towels on the way.

The rest just stared at them until Sun finally opened his mouth. "Since when did THAT happen?"

"Trust me," Ruby gave him a flustered look. "I want to just as much as you do."

The group went into the showers, one by one, to clean off all of the sewage. Meanwhile, Scarlet and Sage, the rest of team SSSN, finally made their way back to the safe house, and after everyone was cleaned up, Ruby called them all to discuss the very reason she came to Mistral in the first place.

"So, about why we're here," She turned to Sun and his team. "Have any of you heard the name Cinder Fall?"

They looked at each other, trying to recall the name from their memory until they all saw that no one did. "No, why?".

"Okay, maybe Emerald Sustrai? Mercury Black?"

Again, Sun and his team couldn't recognize any of the given names.

"Remember the dragon?"

"Yeah?"

"That's Cinder's handiwork" SSSN looked at her with slight shock, "And she was posing as a student from YOUR school." By now, Ruby figured that something was fishy, by the mere fact that Sun and his team, being in Haven for over two years now, never even heard the names in their entire lives. Sun and Neptune were very social people, so the odds they knew a lot of the people in Haven was very high, and even if not them, they might have had shared friends or something.

"Well, we never even heard her name, and trust me, we know who's in Haven" Sun concluded.

"That's what I thought." Blake spoke up. She had a knack that investigating Haven was going to be a dead end of sorts, seeing as people like Cinder don't just leave clues behind for no reason. At the very least, they've learned that Cinder faked her way through Mistral, meaning there might still some traces. "But we still need to make an investigation. We came all the way here for a reason. She could've have gone with any other huntsmen academy, but she chose Mistral's out of all four. We need to figure out why."

"I think I might be able to answer that one." Sage explained. "You see, up until the whole Vale fiasco, Haven's regulation were," he cleared his throat. "'Lax', at best. Now everything is ticking by the books, but then it was a different story. She could've easily hacked the school's databases to insert whomever she wanted and bribe a teacher to act like they knew her."

"And going after any other academy was pointless, seeing as Atlas' military code was too strict to disregard such discrepancy, and they could never hide well in Shade, seeing as it's an 'everyone knows everyone' sort of place, so a group of strangers with no background would definitely stick out like a sore thumb." Sun finished Sage's thought, letting the team consider their course of action. "And of course, Beacon was a no go as well, seeing as they were already in cahoots with Torchwick, and everyone knew about him already, so the connection would've been too easy to draw."

"We still need to learn everything we can, so, for now, we'll stay in Mistral. Sun, can we count on your team's help?" Ruby asked the faunus.

"Yeah, you betcha. I've been curious about this whole thing myself for quite a while, and now I have an excuse to go snooping around." Sun and his team smiled as the teenagers spent the rest of the night laughing and sharing stories of their time since Vale's fall.

Over the next few days, Ruby's investigation mission went into motion: While she and whoever wasn't in charge of keeping Nora from tearing the place apart out of boredom checked Mistral's new, closed internet for information about any suspicious black-haired maiden hanging around Mistral, or her two cronies, Sun and his team sniffed around Haven for every piece of information they could find, from rumors amongst other students to one time eavesdropping on an entire faculty meeting. Each night, the ten would regroup at SSSN's secret base, and share all the information they could. Apparently one of Haven's teachers was fired a while back for what the authorities called 'Unsavory conduct', and a quick check of Haven's student database showed that recently a few students were abruptly deleted, pretty much confirming Sage's theory about Cinder's connection to Haven and Mistral in general.

"So, here are the facts" Ren summarized on their second-week meeting, printed digital newspapers and covering the floor and a map of Mistral with strings connecting several places hanging on the wall. "Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, Emerald Sustrai and another student named Neopolitan were all a part of Haven's student database as a single team for a few months before the Vytal festival itself even began." The rest nodded in agreement as he continued. "However, the logs point out that they were all deleted shortly after the attack on Vale, meaning that either they had a mole here, which we know after SSSN's investigation into the student body through rumors and other means at the school is false, or the teacher they bribed into keeping his mouth shut tried to cover his track, either out of embarrassment or an attempt at keeping his job. Either way, he was found out and fired immediately, the media covering the story and hiding the truth."

"So," Ruby concluded. "What we discovered is that we know nothing..." She sighed at the seeming dead end until Blake gave her a faint grin.

"Not precisely. A lot of details can be derived from the smaller, seemingly needless details, and while Cinder did keep her tracks well covered, she completely neglected one simple fact."

"So, I assume you have figured something out Blakey?" Yang asked, trying to see if she can guess what Blake was referring to.

"Well, the very fact that our Cinder's team's logs were deleted almost immediately after she was gone, meant that someone had to know she was behind this and needed to get rid of any evidence leading back to him/her. So I suggest: What if there was a mole, but it wasn't a student, but a teacher?"

"That is possible" Ren thought out loud, "But if you are correct, that would mean that the mole needed to get out of Mistral as soon as possible, to avoid being caught."

"Or maybe he just wanted to be fired to that he could escape, ninja style..." Nora added absentmindedly, and everyone stared at her for her actually ingenious deduction. "...What?"

"Nora's correct." Jaune stood up. "We need to find this bastard and make him spill the beans. He could still be in Mistral, hiding just like us. I imagine it would be hard to leave the kingdom in its current state, so maybe when he finally got 'busted' and fired, he couldn't leave anymore, and had to go into hiding."

"Then it's settled." Ruby felt pumped up. _Finally ,some action!_ She thought and spoke out loud. "Team..." She counter the heads and did some quick calculations in her head. "RYBJNRSSSN is on the case!" Everyone laughed at the absurdly long name, and quickly after got dressed, loaded up as much as they could, and went outside, to find the former teacher. Sun and his team led four groups, seeing as they knew the city best, and they started to cover ground, while Ren and Blake stayed at the base to handle the computer and try to trace the route mole. After a few hours of both online and physical search, they finally found the name of the teacher the sacked teacher: Alabaster Reach.

"Well, we finally have a name, now just to find the man himself." Ruby, Jaune, Yang, Nora, and Blake were in constant Communication, sharing information as much as they could.

"I think I might be able to help with that." Yang called from her side and raised the Dust Celica. _Okay, Yang, focus yourself, find the mole..._ She closed her eyes and finally let her trace out at full force, as a sea of auras filled her mindscape. Now that she was behind walls, she didn't have to worry as much about a possible grimm picking up on her scent at backtracking it to her, and she could feel the details of each soul come into focus. Though she could not read their thoughts, she could sense their emotional state: Happy, frightened, angry, each aura had its own unique scent. But she knew that anyone related to Cinder had to have a distinct feeling to him/her: Malice. Hatred for anything living. Little by little, she signaled the most malicious souls out, finally coming up with five different possibilities. Each team made their way to each of the different locations, and sent the addresses to Blake and Red to try and figure out in Alabaster could be hiding in any of them.

"Okay, we ran the numbers." The PC team reported. "We think he could be hiding next to Yang's team. All the other places seem to be civilian houses, and we doubt anyone would be willing to harbor a traitor to the kingdom in their house right now. Everyone, gather at 13th Honeyway St. And be ready for anything."

Each of the groups silently made their way towards the address given, and upon arriving they saw the apartment building is abandoned, just like they suspected. Yang broke the lock down, make as little as noise as possible, and the group combed each floor for any possible residents. After checking most of the floors and reaching the last one, they heard voices coming from one of the rooms and sent Sun to eavesdrop, utilizing his ability to climb walls and hang on his tail to stay out sight.

"Yes, I've been hiding in the designated place for a few months now, Where the hell is the extraction team?! What do you mean wait a while longer?! Do you have any idea how dangerous it's become staying in Mistral?! No YOU listen, I risked my life for this cause, and I demand that you at the very least make sure I get the chance to get my payment! Hey.." The voice suddenly stopped. "Fuck, she hung up on me! That fucking bitch!" Sun went back and told the rest about the men's conversation.

"So, let's jump him now, while he least expects it!" Ruby said as the team sneaked up to the apartment's door.

"Surprise, motherfucker!" Yang called and kicked the door open. Before them stood a short, wide man, with black balding hair and a simple turtleneck.

"W-Who are you?! H-How did you find me?!"

"Oh, how we found you should be the least of your troubles, buddy." Yang gave him a wide smile, as she pushed him onto one of the apartment's chairs. "What you SHOULD be worried about is what happens if we don't get what we came for."

Next, the yellow huntress pulled her bandages, revealing her crystal arm to the man, who at that point urinated his pants with fear, as she tied him with them to the chair. "What do you know about Cinder Fall? Talk or my friend here might have to introduce her hammer to your kneecaps."

"Please, don't hurt me!" He begged them. "I'll tell you everything I know! Just please let me go!"

"Well, that was easy." Yang sighed.

"Aww, no fun." Nora sounded disappointed. "I wanted to break his legs..."

"Look, I don't know much." The former teacher pleaded. "The only things I do know are that Cinder paid me to insert her and a couple more people into Haven's database, and delete them from it when, in her words, 'something big would happen'. I had no way to know what she meant!"

"And who was that on the scroll just now?" Ruby had to ask. She had a hunch, but she couldn't believe her own thoughts, and she had to hear it from him herself.

"That was her assistant, the green haired girl." He explained. "She said her boss was under the weather and had to recover her strength." Ruby couldn't believe her ears now too. _How the hell did she survive?! I thought I finished her off for good!_

"Well, I ain't buyin' it." Yang pressured him. "What about her partners?"

"She did all the talking, only giving me this marked scroll and one specific number to report to her to. The boy was busy playing with his scroll and the pink and brown one didn't even utter a single word, I swear! The only thing I heard from her was something about mountain Glenn in Vale, but I have no Idea what she had there!"

"Hmm..." Yang peered deep into his aura, checking for any hints of secretiveness in him. When she found nothing, she finally pulled her arm back. "Okay, that's everything. Let's roll. But before I forget..." Yang gave him a blow to the head, knocking the man out while she removed the wraps and covered her arm back.

"What did you do THAT for?!" Jaune loudly asked her.

"So that when he wakes up, there's a good chance he'll think this was all a bad dream. I mean come on, wouldn't you?" Jaune looked around at the group of colorful characters and gave a long sigh.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." he sighed.

The rendezvoused back at the warehouse, celebrating their latest success. _Finally, some clues about Cinder!_ Ruby happily thought and popped a can of People Like Grapes, and gulped the whole thing in one shot.

"So, finally we have some solid clues as to Cinder's whereabouts." Blake waited for everyone to finally calm down. "And we have another lead we can follow, which will put us back in Vale."

"Sorry, but we won't be able you guys with that one." Sun told the rest. "Haven actually started do check for student presence, like, at every possible chance they've got, so just disappearing for god knows how long would definitely be noticed. Even helping you guys with this investigation made more than a few people raise eyebrows in suspicion."

"It's okay Sun, you guys did more than enough." Ruby said, taking another can of drinks. "Thank you."

"Everything for a friend." He smiled back. "But now that I think about it: How are you guys going to get back to Vale? I imagine the long way is not an option."

Just the thought of having to walk for days on end with nothing to do made Nora jump in protest. "Nooooooope." Sure, she knew it was important to get back to Vale, but she's had enough of meadows and marshlands for the next five lifetimes.

"We'll have to sneak aboard an airship." Ren brought up the option, and the rest agreed.

"Wait, we have to go to Atlas first." Yang interrupted.

"Why?" Ruby had no idea what made her sister say that.

"For Weiss, duh. We can't leave her out of all the action." She pointed at team JNR "You guys go back to Vale and help Glynda and Qrow with rebuilding for now. Me, Ruby and Blake will head to Atlas for the final member of our team."

"Agreed." Jaune shook her hand. The all had their work cut out for them, and each team started to plan on how they were going to get to their destination. For JNR, a quick search online showed them that they could hire a vehicle to carry them back to Vale's borders across the sea, but they would need all the lien they had, plus a loan from SSSN to afford that, seeing as this was a black market deal, while Sun and his gang agreed to go with them to make sure this deal didn't go south. As for RBY, since Atlas has military influence all over Mistral, airships were coming and going to and from Atlas all the time, so sneaking aboard one shouldn't be impossible, though they will have to be extra careful.

They slept their last night in Mistral, hoping the coming days would bring better fortune for them, as each dreamt of a better tomorrow for them to have.


	15. Weiss' Last Selfish Act

For a kingdom as cold as Atlas, the city itself was a lot warmer than Ruby had originally thought.

After preparing for their journey towards Atlas, and with a helpful advice about sneaking onto ships from Sun, Ruby, Yang and Blake made their way onto one of the small atlesian bases in Mistral, headed towards the first ship they found that headed back to its kingdom. Finding a large crate, the trio climbed into it, and patiently waited until the soldiers loaded them up with the rest of the cargo, and the airship took off in Atlas' direction. It was about a three-hour flight, and Ruby fell asleep crammed into a box with her sister, but eventually, they arrived at Atlas' frigid lands, and snuck back out of the crate when the soldiers in charge of unpacking took off for a lunch break, silently making their way towards Atlas from the airport they ended in. The main city, which was surrounded with snow on the outside, was designed to look as technology advanced as possible, being as they wanted to differentiate themselves as much as possible from Mantle, which was the kingdom's last incarnation, brought to an end when the Huntsmen academy, also named Atlas, became dominant and established itself as both the governing body and the military one, keeping the academy open as both a sigh of cooperation with the other kingdoms, and as a front for a recruitment office. The very streets were equipped with subterranean heating bodies, keeping the temperature on the sidewalk rather nice. Ruby looked upwards to see that even the now was clouds in the area were manipulated to rain or snow only of designated areas, so that no snow was to fall on the civilians, unless of course it was requested.

"Wow! It's so pretty in here!" Ruby pondered out loud as they walked the streets. Soldiers were a commonplace sight around every corner, though none of them looked especially threatening. No, these soldiers were the more combat skill lacking ones, sent to guard the main city instead of being sent by the general into the front lines of Remnant, slaying grimm and taking names. "And everyone seems so nice!"

"I guess they still live in the little bubble that everything is still fine." Blake added, and gave a quick look to her surroundings. "Though I have to say, seems like this 'peace' is only being kept alive as long as the military still poses as an absolute power."

"Maybe..." Yang thought out loud. Ever since they started to encounter the actual citizens of Atlas, something felt off to her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but something foul was drifting through the air. The soldiers seemed way to lax for such troubled times, and the people weren't even talking about the outside world. These small details started to pile up, but Yang decided that for now, she will put them aside. She and her team had bigger fish to fry right now: Weiss Schnee lived in Atlas, and they were going to find her.

"Okay, pretty town aside," Yang turned to her friends, "We still need to find Weiss. This is the whole damned reason we came here in the first place."

"Oh, yeah." Ruby was a bit lost in all the new sights, before turning her attention to her sister. "How do we even find her? It's not we can just turn to the closest officer and ask 'Hey there good sir. Would you kindly tell us the address of the Schnee family mansion? Thank you!'"

"Well, obviously we can't do that. But we still have to think of a way to locate her." Blake agreed.

"I could trace her, but I need a quiet place in order to focus. I don't have any physical object that she owned, so I have to do this based on memory alone."

Ruby stared at her for a short minute. "Or we could just call her."

"Probably shouldn't" Blake shut down the idea. "I have a sneaking suspicion that especially in Atlas, making a call to someone as important as a Schnee would definitely draw some unwanted attention. Who knows, they're probably tracing all calls made in the city."

"Hmm," Ruby hummed as she tried to come up with a better solution. "Then we'll just have to go with your plan, Yang. Let's go find a more quiet place." The team made their way in no direction in particular through Atlas, looking for a safe place for Yang to use her trace ability in. While walking the many orderly streets, they started to notice more and more details about the kingdom, besides the controlled clouds and many happily looking soldiers: In every plaza was a statue of the current General, James Ironwood. On many houses banners supporting the military and Flags with Atlas' symbols were hung in one place or another, and soon things seemed a lot less friendly and a lot more oppressive, or at the very least misleading.

Touring the city, the gang finally found an ally were not many people were passing, and slid away from the busy streets when no one noticed. When the coast was clear. Yang raised Dust Celica and concentrated. She remembered Weiss' aura from her dream: White, cold and incredibly distant. When she didn't find anything remarkable in the close vicinity, she expanded her range, though that would cost her in aura. Yang already noticed that unlike regular dust Crystals, the Dust and Blaze Celicas didn't really ran out of energy, but instead would draw it directly from her aura, making the two intertwined. If she ran out, the only thing her arm would be good for would maybe be holding things, but nothing else until she had time to rest. Yang felt herself starting to stretch too thin, and she could barely tell the difference between each individual soul. Just when she was about to give up, a rogue soul caught her interest: It was much paler than the others, who seemed to flicker in the many colors of the rainbow. Unlike those, this aura was bleached white, and while others seemed to flicker and dance as their owners would, this one was almost static. Yang opened her eyes and thought about what that meant to that person. The very notion that someone was so twisted as to have such a bizarre aura scared her a bit, and she tried to recall if she ever sensed something similar before, until realizing she couldn't. _Should I tell them?_ She thought as Ruby and Blake waited to see what got her to sweat so much.

"Well? Did you find her?" Ruby finally couldn't hold her curiosity in check.

"I'm not sure." She answered and calming herself down. Whoever that was, she needed to see it for herself, praying it wasn't who she thought it was. "I felt _something._ Something alien and unlike anything I've ever seen before. So far that's the only lead I can give." Yang memorized the feeling. From now, she could most likely recognize this particular aura more easily, making it less difficult to locate it in the future.

"Okay, then lead the way." Blake said, and Yang started to follow the direction the Dust Celica pointed her towards.

"We're coming, Weiss, so hang in there." Ruby said as the three merged with the crowds in the streets, making their way towards the unknown.

* * *

Weiss' alarm clock rang at exactly 5:55 AM, though she was awake far before it. Her room was large and filled with her 'interests': A piano, some books about Dust, and a closet filled to the brim with expensive clothes and ballet dresses. Her weapon, Myrtenaster, was resting upon a chimney opposed to her bed, slowly piling on dust from lack of use. Her mornings were all the same to her: She would get up as 6:00 AM, take a quick shower and get dressed in an elegant light blue dress with knee high white boots, and tie her hair in a ponytail, eat breakfast served to her room at 6:45 AM sharp, and from there, she would head out to her daily activities, that were all planned for her in advance months ahead.

"Ahh, lady Schnee" A tall butler waited for her at the entrance of her room, "I hope you slept well. Let me brief you on your daily schedule as we walk towards the music room."

The butler talked, but Weiss barely heard him: She knew the inner workings of her day like the back of her hand at this point, and there was no real reason to send another chofer every morning to greet her, though her father kept sending them not to remind her of her day, but to make sure she didn't miss anything, by accident or not. Since Vale fell and her father decided the outside world was unsafe for his little snowflake, she was basically a prisoner inside her own house, while her father would constantly groom her into a proper heir for his company. The Schnee Dust Company was the world's foremost leader in Dust exporting and forging, and seeing as he sister Winter joined the army in order to avoid the grim fate of the heir, it fell onto Weiss to carry the torch of the SDC and keep the company alive. Her daily schedule usually included, amongst other, a piano session, a study marathon about the many properties of dust, and a combat lesson, though she was not allowed to use her actual weapon, instead given a training repair instead. At first, Weiss didn't like her old life back. Her memories from Beacon were still fresh, and she tried to sneak out of her room as much as she could. But as time passed, the more she felt her friends growing distant from her. She started to believe that this is how things should have been, and that she had to reason to fight a system to eagerly willing to be exploited by people of her position. Lately, she found herself having longer and longer moments of absolute emptiness: She didn't even have anything to think about, so she just let herself wallow in her own miserable mind.

"Also, miss Schnee, your father has asked to schedule a meeting with you today."

"Okay." She replied absentmindedly. "Please tell him he may call me whenever he finds the time."

"Will do, miss Schnee. Ah, we've arrived." The two stopped in front of a large, white door, and the butler left to report to her dad. Weiss entered the music room, where she would spend the next four hours with many different tutors, perfecting the last couple of instruments she already wasn't proficient in.

In the middle of her Cello session, another servant entered the room. "Your father will see you now, if you would follow me please." Weiss left her current teacher and went with the butler, heading towards the elevator and heading up. The Schnee family mansion was a huge, snow-white building, which had several floors to it. Weiss' had the entire third floor to herself, while her father used the top two as both his private quarters and as his office. They stood in the elevator in silence for several minutes, before finally stopping on the top floor, where her father waited for her in one of his many studies.

"Good morning, Weiss. I trust this day finds you well."

Weiss took a small bow. "Good morning to you as well, father. And yes, I have been good this morning."

"Very well." Her father said with a hint of satisfaction. "So, please sit down Weiss. I have something important to discuss with you."

She took a small chair and sat down. "As you know," her father started taking, but once again Weiss didn't really listen, instead focusing on her emptiness as a means of escape. Beneath her faint, polite smile and high-society behavior, She couldn't lie to herself: She hated this life. She didn't want to be the heir, the center of attention, the idol everyone stares at with awe. She just wanted to be herself, though at that point she didn't really even know what that meant anymore. Meanwhile, her father rambled on about things like the family business and his many enemies, and the important role Weiss will have to uphold in the coming years.

"Which is why I decided to hasten your preparations, starting with today. Weiss, by the end of the year you will be my direct assistant in all SDC operations, and by the time you are twenty-one you will be the head of the Schnee Dust Company, with me being your advisor until you are fully prepared for this job."

Weiss couldn't believe her ears. Her father, possibly in order to avoid bad publicity, has just decided she will become the new head of the company in a few short years. She should've felt joy, of fear, or any amount of resistance to such madness, but she felt nothing.

"Well, aren't you excited?" Her father waited for a response from his beloved daughter, who he assumed will be ecstatic about the opportunity.

Weiss took a long moment before finally opening her mouth with a whisper. "n-no."

Her father's face turned from joy to anger in an instant. He approached her and kneeled so they could see eye to eye. "I'm sorry, I am not sure I heard you correctly. Now, let's try this again: Aren't. You. Exited. Weiss?"

Weiss had no idea where this last shred of resistance came from, but she could not hide it any longer. "N-No. I-I d-don't want t-this father." She replied weakly. It was something primal to her, but she didn't have any ability to delve deeper into her heart to see what it was, only thanking the forces that be that it showed up now.

"Well, it doesn't matter what you want or not." Her father claimed coldly, getting up and walking to the wall window, staring at the urban view. "You are the only one I have, Weiss, and at times like these one must learn to put his family before himself."

"N-No." These were the only words Weiss could utter at that point. Is was either this of accepting her fate forever.

"Fine, then you leave me no choice. I will have to discipline you myself." Her father clapped his hands, and a servant appeared out of nowhere.

"Take my daughter to her room and prepare her for a sparring session."

"Yes, sir." The butler took Weiss' hand and led her towards the door.

"Make sure her weapon is ready." He added just before they could leave. "I don't want this to end quickly like last time." He said with contempt in his voice.

"That was a very unwise move, miss." The two made their way back to her bedroom. "Last time you did this your father almost gave you a second scar." That was her father's favorite way to punish her for rebelling: He would drag her to the mansion's arena, and duel her one on one. Unlike what most think, her father has mastered the family semblance of glyphs fully, and was a very powerful opponent, and while rarely showing his prowess outside of 'sparring' with Weiss, he is not to be underestimated.

Weiss changed into her combat skirt grabbed Myrtenaster, loading it with several different dust crystals. Her weapon, a Multi Action Dust Rapier, was rather frail compared to other weapons she has seen in her days at Beacon, but more than made up for it with its wide range of abilities and features, depending on the type of dust she loaded to the chamber. On top of that, there was the Schnee family semblance, which was the one of the only known hereditary semblances: Glyphs. Weiss could summon these various glyphs in order to create gravitational forces around them, such as creating a platform or accelerating a given body in a certain trajectory, with colors differentiating between the strength of the glyph, from white being the weakest all the way across the spectrum to black.

Weiss walked slowly towards the arena, her father already waiting for her there. He wore a light blue vest and pants more fitted for a fight rather than his regular business attire, in his left hand his own weapon: Schäfer. The blade was much more sturdy, and the barrel had slots for a lot more crystals than Weiss'. In fact, Myrtenaster was designed by Weiss when she tried to imitate Schäfer, alas to no perfection.

"I hope you know this brings me no joy, Weiss." Her father stated before their match begun. "But I will do what I have to do in order to make you see the error of your ways."

Weiss didn't say anything. She merely held her saber, got into position, and waited for bell signaling for the match to ring.


	16. Weiss, The White Knight

Weiss and her father stood facing each other at the Schnee mansion's combat arena, on a floor dedicated specifically for combat and excursive. Soon, the bell would ring, and her father would proceed to beat her up, showing no mercy, as he would always do when she started to reject his plans for her future. This was Weiss' life since she got home from Beacon after Vale fell: being groomed for a position she didn't want, and a life of being a rubber stamp for her father to run Schnee Dust Company, while all the decisions would fall under her name. But even as all that happened, Weiss didn't feel anything: She was exhausted, but not physically. Months of grueling 'reeducation' did their part, and Weiss could barely hold on to herself anymore. But for a reason she didn't even comprehend, she still stood to on her father in combat. Perhaps she was just taught to well not to obey, perhaps it was something else, she had no way to know.

And after what felt like forever, the bell rung.

The two clashed against each other, papa Schnee pretty much leading the course of the fight, with Weiss only being on defense from the very start. She could never best her father, and even though her body moved in accordance to the many lessons she was taught about dueling, her mind was not all there. She could barely show any interest in this 'spar' as much as she could pay any attention to her own thoughts. As the fight progressed, it was clear that she really stood no chance, seeing as her father was much more powerful than her, using this so called 'lesson' only as an excuse to drive any sense of self out of her, making her his perfect little figurehead of a daughter. She decided to try and fight back, using her glyphs to jump around the battlefield to land a hit on her father's back, but as usual he was too quick for her and countered her repair with his own, sending her away all across the room. Weiss silently got up, her muscles screaming for air, as she dashed again at her father. She was already at the limit, but not because her aura was too low: She was broken, so much that she didn't have the strength to fight back, more so than the charade she was forced to put up in order to at least please her father, so that he wouldn't scold her harder than he regularly did. Finally, he knocked her over, sending Weiss beaten to the floor.

"Pathetic." He snarled at her. "If you intend to waste my time with your selfishness, at least make it worth my while. Now get up Weiss, and face me like a true Schnee would."

She could barely hear him over her own pain. The only chance she stood was if she managed to use her semblance's other feature, and summon something to her side. But no matter how much she tried, Weiss just couldn't do it, and even though sometimes she conjured a leg or an arm, maybe even a sword, she couldn't get the whole thing to happen at the same time, until at some point her father just gave up on trying to teach her that skill. She had nothing, and now any messily chance she ever had at regaining her friends was about to be lost forever. At that moment, Weiss decided to do something she never dared to do before, something that she was well disciplined against doing: She was going, for the first time in years, open her own heart. She had no idea what she would find buried within the confines of her emotional vault, but she hoped there was something, _anything,_ that would at the very least give her the ability to explain herself, to express herself. She took a deep breath, silenced her father's yells at her, went inside her own mind, and pictured the big vault, in which she kept all of her emotions in check. _Well, here goes nothing._ She thought to herself as she metaphorically opened her heart and peered inside. She hoped it would be filled with all the lost feelings that she had to bury. Something that would give her some newfound power to overcome her father and prove to him she could more than just a Schnee.

But there was nothing.

At first, she franticly searched for any glint of emotion, any childhood memory that could awaken something she thought was in her all along. That very notion was the only thing keeping her from losing her mind in all this Schnee family madness. She combed the endless void inside herself, trying to give meaning to pictures that weren't there, only to find she just couldn't do it. She was dead inside, her emotions all but gone, and there was nothing she could do about it. _Then I'm truly worthless..._ She let herself slip away from whatever consciousness she held on to before this, and let herself drift in the infinite dark void that was her heart. She gave up, seemingly no hope left for her, when a rouge voice appeared in her mind.

_So what?_

Weiss stopped to look where this voice came from, but couldn't find anything inside the darkness. After a moment, the voice spoke, even louder.

_So what?!_

At this point, she was certain about who this voice was: It was her. She decided to explore this line of thought, and let this voice speak to its heart's content.

_So what if I can't feel?! Who says you need that anyway?! He says we're week, that we're frail and small. But I know that we can do better! And if I'm empty, that just means I have the potential to choose my own path to grow!_

Weiss couldn't disagree with her own voice, though the thought felt like it did not come from her. She wondered who could be the one to use her voice to speak these words, when she finally saw something within the halls of nothingness. She approached the new sight, only to find a young Weiss, weeping and crying. The child was barely visible though, almost intangible. _This must be my inner child._ Weiss' thoughts echoed back to her throughout the blackness. A part of her studies included psychology, and she was well versed in more than a few theories about how the human brain functions, though she was a little surprised to see such a manifestation of herself the way she did.

"There, there." She embraced this lucid hallucination of hers, and the young Weiss looked into her eye, showing barely any emotion.

"Why do we have to do what he says?" The young girl asked, tears in her eyes. Weiss was taught to not ask questions she didn't want answers to, especially when it came to her father, but at this point, she was finally starting to doubt her father's commands. She saw her life flash before her, focusing on moments where she was taught the 'rules' of her life: How to dress, how to eat, how to talk, how to behave. All of these suddenly didn't make a single iota of sense.

"I don't know."

"Then why do we?" The child replied.

Weiss considered her position again. She was always told that this is how things are when you are a Schnee, but now, things didn't seem all black and white to her. She knew she didn't want this, yet she followed along the beaten path of her father, his father, and so forth, not really wondering what SHE wanted.

"I don't know..."

"Then don't!" The child called, before getting up and running off back, vanishing into the emptiness. Weiss tried to follow her, but she was lost again in the infinite blackness. All the while, her own voice started to grow in loudness, repeating the same last word: _DON'T._

Finally, after what felt to her like an eternity, Weiss couldn't take it anymore: "THEN WHAT DO I DO?!" She screamed into the void, as the voice finally silenced. She stopped trying to find anyone else, and just stood in the same spot, trying to reason with herself about what course of action to take now, until finally she saw something approaching her. The being looked ugly and deformed, yet small, and undernourished. Weiss looked at this abomination, and yet felt no disgust, nor fear: This was her mind, her inner self, and she would have to accept anything it threw back at her.

"You are weak." The being spoke in her voice, though distorted and broken. "But by choice, not by skill." It paused for a moment. "Why?"

"I don't know." Weiss had no counterargument, for she knew that beneath all the strength she possessed, that's how she really felt.

"I am what's left in here, the rest barely here anymore." The monster continued, blackness oozing from it. It raised what she could only assume was its arm. "Take my hand, and let me in. I will give what to need to rebuild yourself."

"But what are you?"

"Your ego." She realized that this was what made her fight back, though she had no idea how to recognize at the time. Her emotions were long gone, but her will wasn't, and if letting it consume her would be her only salvation, Weiss was fine with it.

She raised her arm and shook the being's hand as everything became black.

Papa Schnee was tired of waiting. His daughter was passed out on the floor for the past fifteen minutes, and he figured she wouldn't wake up for another few hours.

"I guess that's that" He sighed as he walked to the door.

"Not. Yet." He heard his daughter's voice from behind him, and turned around to see her back on her feet, her eyes fixated on him. She looked different than the Weiss he thought he sculpted to his whims, her eyes burning. It wasn't much for Weiss, but this was her first step in relearning her emotions, and she felt this one burn her very soul: Rage.

"Round 2 then." He charged at Weiss with all of his might, using his own glyphs to accelerate himself, going directly for his daughter. Just as he was about to strike he, Weiss disappeared and hit his backside with Myrtenaster.

"You little..." He turned around, only to see that Weiss was long gone, only to come at him from another angle. She practically stopped running, letting her glyphs bounce her across the room like a ricochet, swinging her weapon at him.

"Finally decided to take this seriously then, huh?" He mocked her and changed stance. "Then the kiddy gloves are off." He charged at Weiss again, only to match her speed, as the two traded blows over and over. After a few minutes, they both stopped, standing in front of each other.

"What's gotten into you?" He father breathed heavily, only noticing that she didn't break a sweat. "Since when could you move this fast?!"

Weiss just stood there, ignoring his words. The only things that went through her mind right now were her own desires, and what did she even want. After a few seconds, she reached her first conclusion: "I want myself back."

"What?" Her father was slightly confused by her answer.

"I said," She lunged at him again, this time loading a red crystal into Myrtenaster, and unleashing a fiery blow unto her father. "I WANT MY MYSELF BACK!"

Her father was knocked back by her barrage of swings and stabs, astonished at the tenacity she showed out of nowhere.

"All this time you kept me locked up in here, grooming me and educating me to be your little perfect doll. Well I won't stand for it anymore!" This time she dashed across the ceiling and came from above, using lightning. "I'll decide my fate! Not you! not anyone!"

"What do you even know of fate?!" He yelled furiously back at her, and started to fight back with all of his might, only to find Weiss managed to keep up with him "You were born Schnee, and you'll die a Schnee. You don't get to choose your life!"

"YES I DO!" She shouted so hard she could feel her vocal chords almost tearing apart. She was connected to her ego again, and after months of burying it, it was not going to let anyone, including her father, put it down again. She loaded Myrtenaster with a blue crystal and jumped to the roof of the room using her glyphs to nullify gravity, creating glaciers and slicing them off, sending them at her father, who had barely any time to reach as ice pillar after ice pillar fell upon him. As soon as her crystal gave out, she jumped on the last pillar, and crashed herself onto her father, jumping right after and constantly swinging her sword at him. As he dodged each blow, he came to realize his daughter has either gone insane, or she was going for the kill. He blew her back with a wide slash, giving him a moment to admire his daughter's tenacity. Alas, it had to end, and soon. His aura was starting to run short, and she didn't seem like she was going to stop when he keeled.

"Well" He said while continuously blocking her attacks. "It was nice to see you HAVE inherited something from me, but this is where it end." He called upon a unique glyph, summoning a white, giant ursa. Unlike the regular creatures of grimm, the Schnee's summons were not the actual things, but rather another extension of their aura, piloted by its master manually. Weiss was back on the defensive, avoiding the ursa's claws plus her father's Schäfer. She had only one choice if she ever wanted to regain herself: She would have to summon. She jumped back, giving her some space, and the glyph started to appear behind her.

"Go ahead." Her father stopped his assault. "I want to see if you fail this one too."

She concentrated as much as she could, envisioning the iron knight she once defeated in a trial posed by her father, before she even got accepted into Beacon. But as she called upon the knight, something warped her glyph, changing it and morphing it into something else: It was her desire, her newfound focus on herself and her ego that allowed her to fight up until this very moment, now affecting her very glyphs. she felt the change, as a twisted grin started to form on her face. Finally, the glyph position itself above her directly. She opened her heart as wide as she possibly could and called.

And it worked, but not in the way she intended.

When she came to call the summon, the most unexpected thing happened: The glyph came down, going through her body and soul, each part of her that passed through it surrounded by light, until it formed into a piece of armor, overlaying itself with her clothes. The summon, corrupted by her own focus on herself, conjured the knight's armor in full: The leggings, the chest plate, the helmet, but not beside her, rather ON her. Weiss could feel the enormous power that this new facet of her semblance granted her, and watched as Myrtenaster was enveloped in light, and the knight's blade, though smaller than the original, but still larger than her own saber, enveloped Myrtenaster, using it as a basis for her to hold on to. Weiss didn't summon the knight: She became one with its essence.

"Hmm, not bad" Her father commanded her, hiding his tension. In all of the Schnee's history, he never heard if someone that was able to 'wear' his or her summons. For all he knew, it was just another failed attempt at perfecting the art. "But not enough." He charged at her with his ursa again, but Weiss was ready. With one full swing, the ursa was slain, dissipating it back to light. Her father started to load Schäfer with the various crystals he had in it, sending nature's wrath against his daughter, but to no avail. Weiss' new armor blocked each blast with relative ease, and she just walked towards him, as Papa Schnee fell back. Even through the helmet, he could see her eyes: Unmoving and unforgiving. It reminded him when he looked at his father when he gave him the company, continuing the endless chain of grief. Finally, he was backed to the wall, and Weiss removed her helmet, letting it dissipate back into light. She took a long hard look at her father, and saw him for the man he truly was: An oppressor. It took all she had to not just end him right there and then.

"I will be leaving. Permanently." She declared.

"Then you are no longer my daughter." He stared back. She accepted this was a possibility. He needed to have some form of victory over her, so she decided to not give him what he wants by pleading for his forgiveness. She dispersed the knight's blade, letting Myrtenaster out, and pointed it at her father's face. in a flash, she slashed his face, making sure it was deep enough so that even after his aura healed him, he would still have a scar.

"Goodbye, father." She silently said as she left the arena. Weiss was a bit glad she managed to control herself enough not to kill him. Doing that would only doom her to be the same exact person he was. She didn't know what was going to happen next, but she was sure about what she was going to do: She going to find Ruby, even if it's the last thing she'll do. Weiss let memories of her former team leader fill her mind, and tried to recall what it was like, to be with her, Yang and Blake back at Beacon. As she reminisced while walking to her room to pack whatever she could before her father would call the guards, mostly lien and crystal ammunition, she saw the images flash in front of her. Sadly, however, most of what she felt was gone. But here and there, mostly when Ruby was involved, a tiny spec of feeling would show itself, and this time Weiss didn't let it rot back into nothing. She took those tiny seeds, and planted them in her heart. Letting the void slowly, but surely turn white. she was cracked, but not broken, and now she knew Weiss Schnee had the power to rebuild herself.

* * *

General Ironwood was sitting in his office, drinking his fifth coffee of the day. It was tiring, managing a global army on his own, but he didn't have any time to rest. Beside him, Winter Schnee sat as they discussed with some of his scientists about reports and deadlines. Her talent and skill advanced her quickly through the rank of the Atlas Specialists, especially now in times strife when the people needed to see strong figures, sitting at the top.

After a few minutes of talking and arguing about minute details of how much does the research and development really deserves, a lone messenger knocked on his office's door.

"Come in."

The soldier stepped forth and saluted, Ironwood relieving him.

"Sir, Mr. Schnee has sent you message. He claims there was an attempt on his life and requests an arrest be made. He also says the assailant is at large." Winter didn't mind much. Her father would have to deal with those all the time, so it wasn't a big deal for her to hear ANOTHER assassin failed. Knowing he father, he probably beat them to a pulp before calling. Though it was strange that they managed to get away.

"And do we have a name for this culprit?" The general calmly asked. "Surely he doesn't expect me to waste military efforts on tracking a nameless goon that he couldn't detain himself."

"Weiss Schnee." The messenger answered, sending both the general and Winter into shock.

"My sister? I swear if this is a prank..."

"No m-ma'am. He was being completely serious. according to Mr. Schnee, his daughter attempted to end his life today, in the end only giving him a scar."

"General I-"

"Denied, Winter." Ironwood shot her down. "You know the protocols. We do not send family after family. You might get distracted and make a grave mistake. However, given the circumstances, I can't ignore this." He turned to the scientist sitting next to them. "Is mark II ready?"

"Yes, sir." The scientist mumbled. "Most upgrades have been installed and its condition is good."

"Then it's time give Mark II its first field test."

"Yes, sir."

The scientist left the office and navigated through the many corridors and elevators in the General's tower until reaching the laboratory floor. He turned on the lights and entered a small chamber, where an android was sitting on a metal table, staring at the wall. He grinned, and flicked a few switches on the automaton, seeing power begin to flow through it as its eyes blinked and it turned its head to stare at him back.

"Good evening, doctor." It said, voice unchanging. He pressed a few more buttons, and images began to flash in front of the android's visual sensors.

"Your target is Weiss Schnee. Alive. Are you ready to engage?"

The android processed the command before replying in a cold, emotionless tone.

"Yes," It stared at him.

"I am combat ready."


	17. The Soul of Penny Polendina

After walking towards what seemed like one of the many skyscrapers in Atlas, Yang suddenly stopped in place. She was following some kind of aura that she never saw anything like before, and up until that moment, she used her memory of this strange anomaly to easily trace this soul throughout the city.

"Wait." Yang held her sister and lover back. Ruby and Blake started at her, confused.

"What happened, Yang?" Ruby asked.

"Whatever this is I was tracing started to move." She turned around west of them and started to move faster. "Quickly, before I lose track of it!"

The trio made their way in this new, different direction, all the while trying not to draw any attention by acting suspiciously by running too fast.

"Look, above us!" Ruby pointed to the skies, as the civilians around them also turned to see a being flying towards one of the other buildings. When Yang looked at it, she realized something important.

"That's the aura..." She muttered and she and her friends followed its trail, looking for whatever it was headed for.

* * *

Weiss walked the streets of Atlas, considering her next move. She made a small mental itinerary in order to organize herself and see thing more clearly:

_* Defeat father - check._

_* Leave mansion - Check_

_* Find Ruby - ..._

She considered if she could still use the Schnee name to fool a pilot into dropping her in Vale, assuming that's even where Ruby is, though most likely after what she's done, her father wouldn't waste any time blacklisting her on literally everything he could, at least when it came to the many privileges the Schnee family had. Nonetheless, she had to find them. She gave up everything else she could have: Title, name, home, family, all for a chance at regaining what she once had: Emotion. The thought felt alien to her, it was almost funny. But for now, she will replace her heart with her desires, and let that direct her path for now. It wasn't long before Weiss could hear something cut the air next to her, only to jump away as a thin, metal blade almost pierced her leg. In front of her, a character came clearly into view: Orange curly hair, green, lifeless eyes, a gray and black shirt with a green motif: Penny Polendina, Ironwood's aura generating robot, was hovering before her, looking grim.

"P-Penny?" Weiss couldn't believe her eyes at first. When she last saw Penny, the android was cut into four by her fallen college, Phyrra Nykos, who died shortly after in the attack on Beacon, when Ruby conspicuously saved through means unknown to her. Not that anyone was kind enough to fill her on the full details back at her former home, but she didn't care at that point. What mattered was the future, not the past.

"Salutations." Penny replied in an emotionless voice, as more blades emerged from her back, forming a circle of sharp edges, and much more that Weiss remembered she carried. _Can't take her lightly then._ Weiss quickly concluded. _Fire should be the most effective, as well as lightning, though the possibility exists the Ironwood gave her protection from such elements..._ Weiss' train of thought was cut short as a circle of swords flew in her direction. She dodged the attack, anticipating it to boomerang and return from her back, only to see the blades starting to hover around her.

"Penny, I don't want to fight you. But if you get in my way..." She barely had time to respond as the blades came at her all simultaneously, and he had to use her glyphs to jump away from harm's path.

"So be it."

Weiss no longer just avoided Penny. She went full-on offensive, wrecking the street around her as waves after waves of dust empowered blows came from Myrtenaster and blew the sidewalk and road apart. Weiss soon noticed that there no civilians in the area, the street being completely clear for some time now. She hadn't paid any special attention to it so far, but now it seemed more and more that Penny's assault was not unexpected, and she quickly figured her father went to Ironwood asking him to either kill her or apprehend her, whichever was more convenient. Penny, on the other hand, looked a lot different than she remembered, being equipped with jets and a bigger storage unit on her back, though the physical changes paled in comparison to her mental changes: Whatever Penny was, Weiss saw none of it, and she would have to show no mercy if she wants to survive.

Penny just moved her arms, controlling the swords. They twirled and danced around her gracefully, flying at the former heir from dozens of directions, all at once. Weiss didn't have any other option, and even though she was exhausted from her duel with her father, and her aura was about halfway gone, she had to use her summon again.

Weiss concentrated back on the familiar feeling of the void within her heart, letting herself be consumed by her ambitions and desires . The glyph morphed again, as it did before, and shortly after she felt the knight's armor forming itself around her, shining white. The blades were successfully defalcated, but not without costing Weiss precious aura. She had to finish this quickly if she wanted to win.

"Okay, Polendina" She gave her opponent a blank look. "Let us begin."

* * *

"What the hell is this?" Yang yelled at one of the soldiers, who was blocking them from entering one of the streets. Several signs have been planted around, telling citizens not to approach the area ahead. Yang, however, was going to take none of it: She felt the aura coming from that direction, and she needed to get to it as soon as possible, before it flies again to who knows where.

"I'm sorry miss." The soldier replied. "But there is a military operation in the area, nothing to be worried about, and the needed to clear it so no one would get hurt."

"Well, we don't care." Yang insisted. "Now let. Us. Through."

"If you are going to break the law, I'm afraid I'll have no choice but to perform an arrest." The soldier's language was well picked, obviously not by him, but by professionals. Every word he said was designed to be the least threatening sounding as possible. "Now, I will have to formally request you three leave."

"I've heard enough." Yang started to unwrap her right arm, before being abruptly stopped by Blake.

"Are you mad? We can't cause too much trouble."

"You tried doing this their way, Blake. Now, we do this MY way." She didn't even wait a second, and flexed her right arm, blowing the bandages off, revealing the crystal arm in front of the entire crowd, sending many of them running away in fear. She pointed it at the soldiers, and did a quick trace in the blocked street's direction. She saw two auras: One was the flying being's, and it still shone eerily white and static, and the other, though flickering as a regular aura would, also felt odd to her: Unlike others she's seen so far sans the white one, this one was almost completely transparent. Traces of color showed themselves here and there, but only barely. So much so that Yang almost couldn't tell if it was really there or just her mind filling gaps in her vision.

"Well, I guess it's too late to take it back now..." Ruby sighed and followed Yang through the blockade, trying as much as possible not to hurt any of the soldiers who attempted to stop them. Behind them, Blake just quietly snuck her way through all the commotion, and caught up with her team when they were in a safe distance from the soldiers, who retreated back after realizing they really stood no chance trying to catch them. They ran across the empty streets, Yang quickly deducing the exact location of the two peculiar auras, and after running for a few minutes, she finally saw their origin: Weiss Schnee, clad in white light, was fending off Penny, who hovered around her, shooting swords and energy blasts all over the place. Now that they were in front of her, Yang could finally see what stroke her as odd about the two of them. Weiss' aura was the transparent one, but besides that she had nothing else that was out of place, and Yang figured she'll look into it later. Penny on the other hand, Horrified her: Her aura, bleach white and clean, was tied by _something_ she just couldn't recognize. Whenever Penny's aura tried to move in a certain direction, whatever it was that binded her down stopped it, and returned the flow to its calculated process and bent Penny to its whims. _Penny's still in there..._ She realized.

"Weiss! Penny! Stop!" Ruby ran head first into the two's duel and attempted to stop the two.

"Ruby?!" Weiss jumped back, and turned away her sword. The last thing she needed right now was an actual dead man on her hand, let alone the one person that still managed to awaken something within her. Penny, on the other hand, just stopped for a brief moment. At that moment, Yang could see her aura almost bursting out of its shackles, but alas, the binds were stronger. She resumed her fighting stance, pointed her arm at Ruby, and opened her mouth.

"Target added."

In an instant, dozens of blades shot at the two of them. Ruby had no choice but to use her semblance to dash away, and Weiss did the same with her glyphs. If Penny was willing to hurt her friends, that so was she.

"Die." Weiss said quietly and picked up her pace, suing the knight's blade's increased range to its full advantage, matching Penny at every move. Soon, Penny had to switch to her defense protocols as Weiss' assault only worsened, and in no more than a few moments, she would pierce Penny's mechanical heart and finish her off, making sure this time there would BE no more Penny. Just as Weiss' final slash was about to land, Yang intervened, and caught both her sword and Penny's arm with her Dust and Blaze Celicas.

"STOP! What the hell happened to you, Weiss?! Can't you see she's still in there?!"

Weiss bit her tongue and jumped back. Yang's reaction made her slightly angry, but then again, slightly angry is better than being unable to feel anger.

"As a matter of fact, no. I cannot." Weiss said coldly. She didn't have any time to catch up right now, that'll come later.

"Well, I can!" Yang shouted. "And no one is killing anyone!" Blake's heart pounded with Yang's words. Memories of Adam flashed before her eyes, and she jumped between Weiss and Penny as well.

"Yeah! This is not the solution Weiss! Believe me, you don't want to do this!"

Penny started to convulse and vibrate, slowly prying herself out of Yang's iron grip.

"Than what DO we so? She won't stop unless we make her!"

"You leave that to me." Yang calmly said and the other backed off, and she released Penny, who took a moment to stabilize mid-air. She focused her aura on the Dust Celica, remembering her lessons about dust manipulation, and decided to apply them to do more than just summoning a gauntlet from her left arm. The Dust Celica started to twist, fingers sharpening and tuning themselves to her will, until her fingers became claws. She dashed at Penny, dust claw at the ready, and sent her hand forward. However, she didn't aim for Penny herself, rather for the binds around her aura. She wasn't sure if she could interact with them at all, but it was worth a shot, seeing as they were able to touch another being's aura directly, and they clearly weren't natural. Penny came at her as well, sending her many swords to cut through the huntress, but Yang was faster. She dodged through Penny's attacks and slashed her aura, making sure the sever as much chains as possible.

And for an instant, Penny screamed.

It wasn't a natural scream, her voice was very mechanical and disturbing. Yang turned to see if her tactic had any effect, and for a moment, it seemed like it worked. Sure, she unintentionally hurt Penny as well, but most importantly her bind came undone in a few places.

Or at least, it seemed so, until they regenerated, forming themselves around her again, and forcing Penny to continue her mission.

Yang was furious at Penny's creators. She would have never felt like this before she had Dust Celica, but being with it made Yang appreciate life in a whole different way: As she saw it now, everything that had an aura, also had a soul. And everything that had a soul, artificial or not, was alive in her eyes. And seeing how the Atlas military treated a living being, her sister's friend on top of that, made her reel in anger. She wanted to burn everything. The cities, the army, the general, didn't matter to her. Right now she was determined to save her friend, no matter what it cost her.

She pushed on, slashing and cutting as many ties as she could, only to see them reform a second later. Penny's movements became distorted and twisted. She twitched as her soul was torn apart, the electric and programmatic binds keeping her from going haywire, and on the other hand, there was Yang, trying to set her free. After a few more minutes of seemingly no effect, Yang has had it. She lounged onto Penny herself and tore off as many binds as she could before shouting directly at her.

"PENNY! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! PLEASE! JUST COME BACK!"

Something within Penny cracked, and while the binds still regenerated, they were slowed down. Yang saw as her aura started to violently shake, repelling the programming tied to her soul, and pushed even harder, ripping more and more, until the system was desperately trying to stay in control.

"What is she even doing?" Weiss wondered out loud, seeing as for the past fifteen minutes, Yang has been consistently hitting Penny's sides and edges of her body, and for some strange reason she couldn't fathom, _it worked._

"That's Yang now, Weiss" Blake answered her question and gave her a brief explanation of Yang's new abilities, granted to her by her dust implants. Weiss, listening to every single detail, began to form countless theories about explaining such powers coming from such a combination of dust and flesh, until Ruby interrupted her line of thought by hugging her.

"I missed you Weiss."

Weiss looked at her friend, her innocence shining in her silver eyes. She tried to emulate a happy smile, which looked a bit out if place.

"I missed you too."

Penny's soul was almost free. It didn't take Yang much longer to break her out, and fighting from the inside was the best she could do. Penny resisted, as hard as possible, but at every turn, the same word echoed in her mind: _OBEY._ After her presumed death by Phyrra, her pieces were hurried back to Atlas, to be rebuilt. Her father wanted to rebuild her exactly the way she was before, maybe even remove her combat capabilities, just so he could have his daughter. However, general Ironwood saw Penny as a key component in the battle against the grimm. Her aura generation was one of a kind, and building another one like her would take too much time and resources. In the end, Penny was handed to the army's science division, to be remade with combat orientation in mind. Apart from the latest military technology installed onto her, the general also wanted to limit her personal freedom, in order to make sure she would always carry out her missions. However, limiting her would also cause her aura to weaken, having lost one of the main component that allowed her to be who she was, so they worked around that by diverting her access 'impulses' through a complex line of programming and commands, rendering her actual choices meaningless.

"PENNY!" She heard a call from above. A voice she recognized. She pushed even harder, and finally, after one last push, the system built to contain her was shattered. She was free.

Yang stopped as soon as she saw the binds stopped reforming. She jumped away from Penny, who landed and stared at them.

"S-Saluta..." She uttered and collapsed on the floor. Ruby ran up to her to check if she was damaged in any irreversible way, until Weiss pulled her aside and took a look herself. From what she understood in robotics, which though not much, was sufficient for this, it seemed that Penny just ran out of power, though there was no telling if when she reboots, she will keep her autonomy.

"So, Yang just single handedly beat a dangerous atlesian military weapon. Now what?" Weiss wondered. Saying Yang's name felt weird to her, unnatural even. She hasn't said anyone's actual name for quite some time, so doing it now put a weird taste in her mouth.

"She's not dangerous." Yang turned up to her, looking a bit annoyed at her remark. "She's just as alive as any of us."

"Yeah!" Ruby joined in. "Even if she is a robot, she has an aura, and also a soul!"

Weiss stared at the group. They all seemed... Alive. She couldn't describe it at the moment. "Fine. I'm sorry."

"Weiss, are you okay? You just admitted you were wrong about something." Yang couldn't believe her ears. "Are you sick or something?"

Weiss decided not to hide her state. "I just... can't feel anything anymore." The group fell silent.

"W-What do you mean? Are you just tired?" Ruby's face began to form a worrisome face.

"I mean that my father deliberately tried to drive out any shred of self I ever had." She looked deep into Ruby's eyes, and she saw clearly that Weiss' didn't even have a glimmer in them. "And now, I'm not even sure if I'm able to be happy to see you." She said. Sure, in her mind there was relief, gladness even. But deep in her heart, almost nothing rose.

"Th-That's horrible..." Ruby held on to her tightly. "Well, don't worry Weiss. I'm going to make sure you can feel again." The gesture almost touched her. Almost.

"Thank you."

They didn't have much time to talk any further, before hearing the calls of soldiers surrounding them from all sides.

"FREEZE! ALL OF YOU ARE UNDER ARREST FOR DISTURBING THE PEACE AND BREAKING INTO A RESTRICTED AREA! PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND FALL ON YOUR KNEES!" The now reformed team RWBY looked at all the commotion until Weiss silently concluded.

"We should surrender. There is no reason to cause any further mayhem."

Yang and Blake nodded at her, and one after another everyone except Yang dropped her weapons, as the soldiers cuffed them and led them to an armored vehicle waiting nearby.

* * *

The four were brought to one of the bigger skyscrapers in Atlas, all the way to the top floor. All the while, soldiers held them at gunpoint to make sure no one tried anything clever, especially Yang, seeing as her weapon was literally a part of her. After waiting in an elevator and going to the top floor, they were brought before the general himself. Ironwood sat in his big chair, Winter besides him, and they waited for the four to sit as well before Ironwood started with a low gruff.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" He finally started, showing no hint of mercy.

They sat in silence, until finally Yang opened her mouth. "We saved Penny."

"Did you now? Do you even realize the amount of damages you've made to her systems with THAT?" He pointed at the Dust Celica. "I knew you were hot-headed, Yang Xiao Long. But I had no idea you were truly mad."

"I damaged her?" Yang retorted. "You took a living thing and crammed it into an endless prison, somehow twisting the most basic law of nature."

"And how would you presume to know all this?"

"With this." She moved her right arm. "I can sense auras now, see how they move and flicker. It started with my own, but now I can even trace other people given the right conditions. And when I looked at Penny's aura, what I saw TERRIFIED me. You don't realize what you're doing to her, but I do." Yang wanted to raise from her chair, but opted to avoid needless aggression. She had no idea how powerful the general was, and something told her she didn't want to find out.

James took a moment to considered what the yellow-haired young adult just told him. It reminded him a lot of what Penny's creator told him shortly before he took Penny's remains with him. What Yang told him wasn't scientific in any manner, but for some reason, she was able to understand the same implications an aura had on a person that one of the most brilliant scientists in his kingdom did. He could see it in her eyes.

"And you." He turned to Weiss. "Your father claimed you've made an attempt on his life. Is that true?"

"He's NOT my father anymore." Weiss gave him and Winter a grim look. "And while yes, the thought did go through my head, I did not intend to kill him." She paused. "I did, however, gave him a fitting parting gift." And pointed towards the scar going the top of her left eye all the way down to her cheek.

"How could you?" Winter couldn't hold herself anymore. "I know he was tougher with you than with me, but sti-"

"There are no 'stills', Winter." Weiss' voice became even colder. "There never were."

"In any case, a punishment is in order." The general concluded. "You will all face a military trial for your actions, from which it will be decided how many years each of you will receive."

"Or, rather, you can just let us go." Weiss suggested.

"And what makes you think I would even consider that?"

"Because the way I see it, this meeting can go both ways: One is that you send us all to prison, and seeing as we would not be able to accept that, break out and cause even more chaos. I assume you have live feeds of Yang's new strength from Penny's memory banks, and I doubt you'll be able to rip that arm right off of her. The second is that you get us to Vale, and use your propaganda to make it seem like the problem solved itself, and you can all live in your little bubble while WE do the real fighting against the grimm." Weiss' brain already analyzed all the most likely possibilities of the various punishments they could be sentenced to, and formed the most convincing argument she could, clearly not hiding her own contempt towards Ironwood and his relation to her father.

"...Well stated." Ironwood finally opened his mouth after a few minutes of silence. "I suppose the people are more important than a couple of criminals. Very well. I will supply you with transport to Vale, but from there you are on your own." He thought for a minute and added. "And let me make this clear: From now you are all of Atlas' Blacklist. If you ever set foot in my kingdom again, There WILL be consequences."

"Then we both agree" Weiss returned a cold look. "We will also need our weapons and equipment back. In full."

"Acceptable. Now, please follow my second in command, she will lead you to our hanger." He signaled Winter who got up from her chair and with sorrow in her eyes, she led them to the elevator and through the many floors of Ironwood's tower.

"Weiss..." She finally said during the long wait to get to the bottom floor.

Her sister only looked at her with lightless eyes. "I have nothing to say to you."

"C'mon Weiss, that's no way to talk to her." Ruby insisted. "You should be, I dunno, more sisterly"

She stared at Ruby, looking into her silver eyes. She remembered what she should feel like, but for now, the only things that rose were faint glimpses.

"I just can't. Not now."

Winter was heartbroken over hearing her sister talking like that. She had no idea what her father had in store for her sister, but no sane man would subject his own child to such an existence. "Then please, talk to me when you are ready. We'll find a way." She tried to soothe her sister. _While I have a little talk with our father..._

"Very well, Winter." Weiss finally said as they headed towards a small hovercraft, and boarded on their way to Vale.


	18. What I Truly Want

"So, are you SURE you can feel this?"

"For the hundredth time Weiss, yes. I can feel you touching it, knocking on it, trying to scrape a part of it, which even hurt a little. Satisfied?"

Team RWBY was sitting in a small aircraft headed to Vale, piloted by Weiss' sister, Winter. They were told the flight would take some time, so Weiss decided that she had a few moments to examine Yang's new arm. While other people in her age would only start to attend higher education, thanks to her former father's tutors and private lessons, Weiss was now on the same level of a university student majoring in Dust. She couldn't stop the endless stream of questions and theories passing through her head, and while Ruby slept peacefully, leaning on Blake's shoulder, Weiss just wasn't tired whatsoever, so instead she chose to finally divert some time to try and understand what her teammate did to herself.

"This is unprecedented. I have never even heard of such uses for dust. How did it even feel, inserting it through your flesh?"

"It hurt at first, but soon after it became a warm, almost loving feeling. I can't really describe it, but it just feels right, you know? Like the very idea of implanting dust is completely natural."

"Interesting..."

"Well, if you're done trying to break a piece of my arm off, I'd like to get some sleep as well." Yang turned away and closed her eyes, letting herself fall to sleep. It was a brief respite from all the madness of the outside world, but Yang decided to let herself go for whatever time they've got until landing.

After a few more hours, finally, they hovered above Vale, its ruins laying beneath them. The summer sun shining brightly above.

"I'll need to find a clear place to land, however that's going to be a problem with all the rabble down there..."

"Than just take us to Patch. You could probably find a clearing of something to land there. We'll just have to get to Vale's main continent ourselves." Yang suggested.

"If you say so..." Winter headed towards Yang and Ruby's old home. True to Yang's word, finding a place to land wasn't hard, and they all disembarked the ship. Winter wanting to personally send her sister off.

"Goodbye, Weiss. I promise things will get better, okay?"

Weiss just looked at her. She had no words to her biological sister. Winter's face started to tear up slightly before heading back to her aircraft, leaving the team behind.

"So, who wants to see our home?" Yang asked Weiss and Blake with a cheeky smile.

"I thought we needed to make our way to Vale." Weiss replied. "Do we really have the time to just relax?"

"For all we know, there's something in mountain Glenn, and we are going to investigate it." Yang turned to her. "But it'll be a suicide mission if we go right now, tired from all our previous fights yesterday. That armor may be powerful, Weiss, but it drains you fast. Trust me, I know."

"If you say so." Weiss said with a slight gruff. The four walked through Patch, Yang and Ruby showing them around the island. As they toured the small island, Ruby couldn't help but notice things looked a lot different than she remembered. A lot of houses have been rebuilt, and people seem to have started to readjust to everyday life.

"Wow, Yang! everything looks so much better than almost a year ago!"

Yang looked around, and sensed something she hasn't seen outside herself and people like Ruby for quite a while: Hope was returning, slowly but surely. It filled her with happiness to see Glynda and Qrow's efforts managed to reach even Patch, meaning they had the resources to spare to this small extension of Vale. Finally, they reached the old home, located in a clearing away from the main town on the isle.

"DAAAAD! We're home!" Yang shouted out of nowhere, alarming the rest. After a few minutes, the door slammed open, and Tai Yang rushed out of his house to hug his two daughters. He gave Yang a tight hug, squeezing her until she almost couldn't breathe.

"W-Wow" She said after he finally let her go, and she gasped for air. "I guess now I see how MY hugs feel..."

"H-Hey dad." Ruby said soon after. She wasn't sure how her dad would react to her leaving the house with only a note left behind, but Tai Yang simply approached her and gave her a hug as well.

"I'm so glad you're okay, Ruby. Welcome home."

"Thanks, dad. Also," she pointed towards Weiss and Blake, "These are our teammates that I used to write to you about."

Weiss approached him and took a slight bow. "Pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Xiao Long." Even if she did decide to abandon her family name, she was well taught, and old habits die hard.

"Please, just call me Tai Yang, everyone does." He shook her hand. "And likewise."

She gave him a small nod and went talk to Ruby, while the faunus approached him as well.

"Ah, dad" Yang came and pet her on the shoulder, "And THIS, is my girlfriend, Blake Belladonna."

"Wait, GIRLFRIEND? How long?!" Tai Yang called, catching Ruby's attention.

"Yeah sis, since when?"

She looked at Blake, who gave her a nod of approval before she continued.

"Well, it was a few days after I saved her from the grimm in the ruins of Beacon." She told them about what happened to her when she first reached Vale, cleverly leaving out details like the fight with Adam.

"So, that's a thing now..." Tai Yang sighed. "They just grow up so fast..." He slightly teared up, making both his daughters blush.

"Jeez dad, it's not like it's a big deal or anything."

"Well, in any case, we could use some rest before heading to Vale itself." Blake added, and the group decided to have the rest of the day off, Blake and Yang going to Yang's room, Ruby headed to her room to do some maintenance of Crescent Rose, leaving Weiss standing in the entrance of the house, wondering what she should do.

"Aren't you going to come inside?" Tai Yang noticed her and approached to see if everything was alright.

"Perhaps. I'm not sure." She tried so hard to remember how to feel in such small moments of peace, but as much as her mind recalled the physical reactions, her heart just wouldn't budge. It was going to be hard to rebuild herself, and Weiss was well aware of that, but nonetheless it left her stuck in place.

"listen, Weiss," He stood next to her as the sun began to set. "I don't really know what happened to you that made you like this, and I'm not going to ask. But at least, try for Ruby. She would always send me letters, telling me how smart and strong you are. She really looks up you."

Weiss let that sink in, not sure how to react. "...okay." She quietly sent inside.

* * *

The sun finally set, letting the shattered moon shine brightly in the night sky. Yang already dragged Blake into her room, no doubt indenting to have her way with her lover, while Ruby was taking a shower and prepared to go to bed. Weiss, on the other hand, just couldn't fall asleep. All the events that led her to that moment still rushed in her mind, which left her slightly Insomniac. She just stood outside, leaning on Myrtenaster, thinking.

"Weiss?" She heard a voice from behind her, only to see Ruby, in her pajamas, approaching her. "Is everything alright?"

"I can't tell anymore, Ruby." She turned to her partner. She knew what she SHOULD feel, but just couldn't do it. "It's so hard. I can't even take this moment to piece my thoughts together."

"Don't worry, okay?" Ruby just couldn't stand her friend being like that. She had no idea what Weiss' father had to do to make her like that, but none of it mattered to Ruby. She only saw a friend in need, and believed herself to be one of the only people able to help her. "Everything is going to be alright. You're a Schnee after all, righ-"

"No." Weiss interrupted her. "I'm not. I decided that as soon as my father disowned me. That family is filled with so much grief and sorrow, and I just don't want to be a part of it anymore." She turned to Ruby, and once again, the last shards of emotion left in her started to show themselves. She tried to let them grow and much as they could, and the tears began to form on her face.

"Weiss, you!..."

She moved her hand on her face, and felt her own tears. Something within her moved, even if slightly, and so far, Ruby was the most powerful catalyst for her fleeting emotions. She came to Ruby and hugged her.

"Just, let me stay with you for now, okay Ruby?"

Ruby started to cry from happiness a bit as well, seeing her friend starting to rediscover her heart. "Okay Weiss, you can even sleep in my room." She blushed a bit. "It's not like Yang and Blake aren't doing this as well..."

The two finally made way towards Ruby's bedroom, to catch some much-needed sleep. As they walked through the house, and Ruby showed Weiss the many cool things in her house, like her dad's weapon, his small workshop desk, where Zwei was sleeping, with the dog himself getting some shut-eye as well, Weiss looked at all this life in front of her, and for the first time in months, between all the fragments of emotion that came to her briefly here and there, another one finally breached the void. It was faint, but Weiss was sure what it was.

She was happy.

* * *

Ruby and Weiss woke up to the early morning sun, glinting through the bedroom's window. Seeing as Ruby's room only had one bed, they had to share, and while Weiss' old, prissy spoiled self would reject the idea with every fiber of her bring, the new self didn't see anything bad in it. Now, that she put her old, high-society life behind her, her mind opened up to much more possibilities, including sleeping in such a tiny beds. The change only became easier to accept with no embarrassment or pride holding her down.

Ruby woke up shortly after, looking at her friend with a wide, bright smile.

"Good morning, Weiss!"

"Good morning."

The two got dressed and headed downstairs to eat something, seeing Yang and Blake already sitting and snuggling with each other, while Yang tried to feed Blake, who turned her head in embarrassment.

"Hey rubes, G'morning." Yang waved at her sister while attempting to shove a fork with some fish at Blake's mouth, who had to resort to her semblance to not be skewered.

"Yang, sheesh, there's no need for that..."

"Oh, c'mon Blakey. After what we did last night." She put a large emphasis on those two last word as she turned her head to Ruby and Weiss, the former making an expression of disgust and the letter keeping her stoic face. "You deserve a good meal."

"Oh god, it's like we never left home!" Ruby ran outside to get away from her sleazy sister, and Weiss followed her outside, seeing as there wasn't anything special to do inside, and watching Yang toy with her girlfriend wasn't a top spectacle. The sun hit her face, and she felt its warmth fill her skin, a sensation forgotten to her at that point. Weiss remembered the small spec of happiness she felt yesterday, and tried to hold on to it as much as possible.

Suddenly, a rustle from one of the bushes around the house alerted her and Ruby, and the two headed carefully to check what made that noise.

"Okay, Weiss, ready?" Ruby and Weiss positioned themselves to jump at the creature at a moment's notice.

"NOW!" They ambushed the intruder, only to find a humanoid hiding under the leaves. Ruby's jaw fell to the floor.

"PENNY?!"

Yang, Blake and Tai Yang heard Ruby's yell and ran outside to see what caused her to shout Penny's name. Sure enough, she stood before them, looking rather weak. Her clothes were in tatters and even her skin had a few marks on it, revealing the metal behind.

"H-Hey guys. How, are, you, today?..." Penny tried to fake a smile, but her face twitched and move involuntarily all the time, making it really hard to buy that.

"Penny! What are you doing here! I thought that after my sister helped you free yourself, that the general took you back to his lab to repair you."

"I e-escaped from his engineers after they f-finished my r-repairs. T-They wanted to s-seal me away again" Her voice was jittering and distorted. "A-And I snuck into your ship! N-Now, I can be M-Myself! R-r-right?" Yang took a look at penny's aura. True to her word, the binds weren't there anymore, but her soul looked diminished and small.

"Oh, Penny..." Ruby let her lean on her shoulder as they walked her to their home. "Of course you can." Penny could no longer hear her, having lost consciousness.

"Put her on the couch for now." Tai Yang ordered. "When she wakes up, we can find a way to help her."

"I think the one thing she needs most now is sleep. I looked at her aura earlier. She's exhausted almost all of it. " Yang added. "Who knew that even Penny needed to do things like that."

"Well, I'm just glad that she's alright." Ruby concluded, and the group decided to go on with their day, allowing Penny to replenish her aura.

* * *

Blake was having a small walk outside, letting the events of earlier that day and last night wash over her. She was just glad no one heard her and Yang making out in Yang's room, let alone what they did _after_ that. She began to sweat a bit, thinking about all the lewd things she and Yang did, vowing to herself to never let anyone know. Unlike Yang, who was very open with almost everything she did, Blake was still too shy to admit to having, well, sex, especially to the rest of her team, let alone Yang's father. While walking around in no direction in particular, she reached the small clearing they landed in, and saw Weiss, standing and watching the sun, leaning on Myrtenaster.

"Weiss?"

"Good afternoon, Blake." Weiss' voice was almost monotone.

"What are you doing here alone?"

"I'm just, thinking about what I truly want now." Weiss already promised herself that she would never lose sight of what SHE wants, but for the life of her, she couldn't find a single thing to desire in the entire world to have.

"Hmm," Blake stood next to her. "I don't know if just sitting here like this will help you. I mean look at me: I was hiding alone and afraid, thinking that this was the way it had to be. Now, that I have Yang, I've finally been able to open myself a bit more." She twitched her cat ears, make sure Weiss didn't notice they weren't covered. "You won't find the answer alone."

Weiss closed her eyes and considered what Blake had just told her.

"Fight me."

"W-What?" Blake was a bit dumbfounded.

"I said, fight me." Weiss jumped back and held Myrtenaster in her left hand. "I want to feel, Blake. You have no idea what it's like, having your emotions almost completely taken away from you, and I'll do ANYTHING it takes to feel even the slightest hints of emotion back. So please, help me regain myself by fighting me. I just want to try as many things as possible."

It was a bit unexpected, but Blake jumped back as well and drew Gambol Shroud. "Very well."

The two ran at each other, starting with simple trades and parries of their weapons. Weiss was a lot agiler than Blake remembered, but nonetheless, she managed to match her speed with Gambol Shroud. Weiss went for an overhead strike, and Blake used her semblance to first jump back, then, as she dashed back at Weiss, used it attack Weiss from two directions, which Weiss, though surprised a bit a first, dodged with her glyphs with ease.

"I see you've learned a new trick, Blake. Impressive."

"That's one of the things that I managed to awaken after reuniting with Yang."

"About that," Weiss returned to attacking Blake, and the two huntresses continued to trade blows while talking. "I imagine being able to create such clones from your aura took quite a bit of emotional stress to achieve." She looked at Wilt & Blush, still hanging on Blake's pelvis. "Does THAT have anything to do with it?"

Blake stopped and jumped away. She was ready. She pulled Wilt & Blush. "This is Adam's Taurus', leader of the White Fang's, and my mentor's weapon." Weiss' eyes widened up a bit. "And I killed him."

Weiss didn't need any emotions to be shocked by that statement, though her type of shock was just great disbelief. She remembered Blake, the cloistered, shy faunus girl, and even thought she did know Blake was a part of that organization in her past, in no way did Weiss think she was capable of murder. Her face, however, refused to change.

"Your secret is safe with me."

"So you won't tell Ruby." Blake said with relief.

Weiss figured Yang would probably already know about that, maybe she was there herself . "Yes."

"Thank you, Weiss." Blake didn't feel like fighting anymore and sheathed Gambol Shroud. "I'm sorry. I just need some more time now..." She said as she and Weiss headed back to the house.

* * *

It was already late at night, and Weiss couldn't sleep again. It wasn't even sharing a bed with Ruby that bothered her, although sleeping with a hyperactive person who's very semblance is moving fast next to her was no easy task. She once again headed outside to look at the moon, it's serene aura soothing her in some way, only to find Yang, already standing there.

"Ah, Yang" She went up to her. "I did not expect you to be here at this hour."

"Could say the same, snowflake." Yang gave her a bright smile. "Blake's already asleep, and I just had a lot to think about. Penny hasn't woken up yet too, which is starting to bother me a bit."

"Perhaps she was just on the edge of her aura." Weiss tried to reason. "Besides, we have never seen Penny for so much time continuously, maybe that's just the way she is."

"I dunno. Maybe. I've been looking at auras for a few months now, and Penny's is still one of a kind to me. Anyway, Weiss, why are YOU here?"

"I'm just thinking" Weiss shared what was on her mind with Yang. "When I realized that I had nothing inside anymore, I promised myself to hold to my ambitions, my desires, and let them guide me until I can feel again. I have accepted my state, and yet I just cannot find a single thing to want to myself." She began to reminisce back to her old family, seeing as she was very spoiled back when she was young, in the days Winter was still the candidate to become the heir.

"Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out." Yang gave her a pat on the back. "Who knows, maybe what you need is not something, but _someone_." She headed back into the house, leaving Weiss alone. She thought about what Yang just said, and images of the many people she knew flooded her mind. Yet, out of all of those, only stuck out in particular: Ruby's. Once again, Weiss felt _something._ She didn't quite know what it was, but it was getting a bit stronger. At that moment, Weiss finally made up her mind about what she desired.

She wanted Ruby Rose.


	19. A Simpler Day

The group got up early, deciding it was best to be prepared as soon as possible for their venture to Vale again. Ruby was making some final tunings for Crescent Rose, Blake and Weiss checked their ammunition to see if they had enough, and Yang, who didn't need any maintenance for her weapons was busy forging her custom bullets for the rest of the team. She heard a knock on the door, and Weiss entered her room, with a small list of specifications.

"Myrtenaster needs a custom crystal shape in order to work with it. Can you do that?" She handed the piece of paper to Yang, who examined it and gave her a slightly annoyed look.

"You are not going to make it easy for me huh? Yeah, I can forge that, just give me a few more minutes... Man, I really should teach you guys how to do this at some point..."

That last statement made Weiss raise an eyebrow. "We could also do this?"

"Well, yeah. This has nothing to do with the Dust Celica, rather just an aura manipulation technique. You do need to have a certain control over it, though, so it might not be that easy at first." She gave Weiss a small smile. "But I'm sure that eventually you'll be able to make your own ammunition."

"That reminds me, Yang, I've been meaning to ask you: Have you considered inserting more dust into your arm?"

Yang looked at her right arm with a confused look. "Why would I want to do that? I case you haven't noticed, that damned thing made FROM dust."

"Let me explain." Weiss started, and Yang made a slight groan. Even if Weiss seemed a lot more humble since her departure from the Schnee family, she still had a knack for talking all day long. "From what I gathered, so far you made your arm using only orange crystals, for their relative stability. Correct?"

Yang nodded. "Yeah, so?"

"So, since your arm is already stable enough for you to control, why not insert an element into it and see what happens? Think about it: Since you already have enough control over your arm's strength, putting a bit of red dust into it might just give you an edge that could turn the tables on an unsuspecting opponent."

Yang closed her eyes and gave the idea a careful thought. After a minute, she pulled a small, dark red book from one of the shelves and flipped through its pages, looking for something. She stopped after a short while, read what Weiss assumed is only a few paragraphs, and turned to her again. "I guess it could be possible, but I want to better control the synchronization between my aura and the dust first. If I mess this up too much, I could accidentally shatter my arm."

"And what you read in that book helped assess your theory?"

"Uh-huh. Actually Weiss, why don't you take it as well? It could teach you a thing or two." Yang gave Weiss her copy of Of Dust And Men, and Weiss skimmed it, noticing the tome's age and lack of author or any sort of credit.

"I doubt it, but if you insist. I will read it when I have the time." Weiss didn't tend to appreciate books like that. She preferred those that gave a full, crystal clear explanation of what they were talking about, and not just use fairy tales as valid examples. However, given Yang's ability to transcend everything Weiss knew about dust using books like that, it might just be worth it to at least go over the thing.

After a few more minutes of waiting, Yang handed Weiss a couple of differently colored dust crystals in the desired shape, and Weiss looked at them carefully, for any imperfections. Even the slightest mistake could mess up with her barrel and cause Myrtenaster to malfunction and even blow up if luck wasn't on her side.

"Trust me, it's exactly what you asked for." Yang gave a cocky grin. "I've built an entire arm out of the stuff. Making these is child's play after that."

"Very well then." Weiss pulled Myrtenaster and loaded the crystals into it. Just as yang said, the balance was correct and the barrel closed perfectly. "I really do need to learn that skill at some point."

Finally, after all the girls finished getting ready to head out, they all stopped in the living room and stared at their next big problem: Penny, who was still doing her equivalent of sleeping on the family couch. First thing, Yang decided to look at her aura, to see if there was any improvement in her condition, and while it seemed on the surface that her aura was already replenished like it should have, something stopped Penny from waking up. "That's weird. Her aura's just fine, she SHOULD be able to get up any moment now."

"Can I?" Weiss moved Yang out of the way and examined Penny. She used her limited knowledge of robotics to try and reason Penny's inability to wake up until she finally concluded. "She has no power. We need a way to charge her with electricity. But not any bolt of lightning will do, too hard and she might fry."

"Wait, Weiss, how do you all this?" Ruby couldn't help but ask. She knew Weiss was well taught, but she's never even seen Weiss tending to machinery.

"My, _father_ " she said that word with a slight scrawl. "needed me to be a proper CEO of the SDC as soon as possible, and since a good manager knows a bit of everything his or her employees do, part of my education over the last year had some robotics thrown into it. I am no expert, but it will do for now."

"So, where do we find something that can conduct electricity like that?" It didn't take the entire group more than a few seconds to figure out someone perfect for the task.

"Nora." Yang, Ruby, and Blake said simultaneously. Nora's semblance allowed her to conduct electricity, and while she mostly used this ability to amplify her own physical strength, It was most likely possible for her to manipulate currents more subtly if she needed. Either way, the most optimal option, for now, was to carry Penny to the main city in Vale and meet up with JNR, hoping Nora could help Penny wake up.

"Well, I guess that's that." Yang said, and picked Penny up. "Let's go. We've got a friend to save."

"Wait!" They heard Tai Yang call them as he ran up to see his daughters before they leave again on another mission. He gave them both a fatherly hug. "Before you leave, make sure you packed everything you need." He also pulled a small case, holding a bunch of lien. "I originally used these savings in order to pay for your admission to Beacon, but now I have a feeling it might help you more if you had it with you instead."

Ruby grabbed the case and slid it into one of her skirt's pockets. "Thanks, dad, and don't worry. This time, I won't be going any further than the mainland, so we could be back after we're done there!"

"That's great, sweetie." He followed them up to the doorway, and Zwei came and started to jump on Ruby's leg, to which she picked him up and pet him.

"I'll miss you too buddy. But you can't come with us like last time. Besides, I don't think Blake could handle you sniffing her things all the time."

"Just keep this thing away from me..." Blake was already on the outside of the house, several meters from the canine.

"Well, goodbye girls." Tai Yang waved them one last goodbye as they left the house and headed down the road towards Patch's port to catch a ride to Vale. "Just... Be safe. Okay?"

Ruby turned around and gave him a wave back. "Don't worry dad. We will."

The four made their way through Patch, Yang Carrying Penny seeing as she was physically the strongest. From there, things were pretty simple: They got to the small town, where things seem to have been rebuilt, and went to see if the ferry has been reopened, and to their luck, things have been going smoothly. They took the first boat leaving Patch, and by the time the sun hit halfway they were already in Vale's port, where a few young adults were waiting for them, with crudely built weapons.

"Hey look!" One of them called to the others. "It's Yang and Blake! They came back!" The others ran up to the pair, who had a vague recollection of them, only to hear that these kids were the new generation of huntsmen in Vale, personally taught by Qrow Branwen himself.

"Wait, you mean uncle Qrow?" Ruby asked them, and they told her about Glynda's camp, about the training that Qrow put them through, and about how strong he made them.

"Wow, I can't wait to meet him again!" Ruby happily exclaimed. "But say, did some new people, about our age have been hanging around in your camp? It's kind of important."

"No, why?" The guard answered. Ruby was a little bit disappointed, but Yang came to her, seeing her concern.

"Hey, don't worry Rubes. Don't forget that the best they could get from Mistral was just a ride to Vale's border. They'd still have to walk all the way back to the city itself, and I don't think I have to tell you that takes time. In the meantime, let go rendezvous with Glynda and the others. Go figure, they might have a better idea about what to do with Penny in the meantime."

"Yeah, okay! Let's go then!"

"Wait" One of the teens called to them before they left. "Since I know how strong Yang and Blake are, and I don't assume you two," He pointed to Ruby and Weiss "are helpless, you probably won't need any help getting to our base. But still, be careful. Grimm still roam most of Vale, and until we take care of the dragon it's not likely we'll be able to restore Vale completely."

"Got it" Yang readjusted Penny and marched on, followed by Ruby and Weiss

"You coming, Blakey?"

"Just give me a minute. I'll see you there."

"Well, okay then. Just make it Quick!" Yang trailed off, leaving Blake with the rest of the guardians.

She turned to one of them. "I need to ask you something: While we were gone, What happened with the White Fang?"

"What, those guys?" He looked at her with an odd face. "So far they haven't done much, except mope around in their new headquarters and every once in a while try to steal some food from us. We even started to turn a blind eye to it, seeing as they lost their leader, and no news from any members from outside of Vale can even reach here. Honestly, I don't really know though, you should just ask Qrow or Glynda. They seem to have a much better understanding of the situation than we do." He stopped for a minute and whispered to her. "Personally, I've heard rumors that they really disbanded, and those who stayed and just have been slowly going insane inside their little base. I've even heard it's here somewhere, in the industrial district, but who knows."

"Thanks" Blake's voice cracked up a tiny bit, "That's all I needed to know." She started to make her way to Yang and the others, while thoughts began to creep into her mind.

_Is it my fault? Have they really lost their path that much? I have to do something about it, but will they even listen to me?_ She started to doubt herself, but before long, she remembered what she promised herself, what made her stand up to Adam the way she did: She wanted to help those dear to her, and the White Fang were no exception. She knew that eventually, she'll have to confront them as well about Adam's death, but alas, she had more important tasks ahead of her. She looked into the distance, and saw it, still frozen, on top of Beacon's tower: The grimm dragon. It was massive, even bigger than the goliath she and Yang managed to kill a while back, and much, much more powerful, so much so that Blake didn't need to be able to sense things like aura in order to tell. She had no idea how Ruby was able to freeze the monster with her presumed legendary silver eyes. _Now that I think of it, I've never actually seen Ruby use those eyes in a fight so far..._ She pondered and walked off towards the direction of the camp, quickly catching up to Yang and the others along the way.

Since the last time the pair had been to it, Glynda's camp changed quite a lot: More buildings were rebuilt, things were tidy and clean, and besides the children, sleeping peacefully in their little tents/rooms, things were completely silent. even its parameter increased by quite a bit, allowing for more space for everyone. They approached the parameter, only to see a makeshift spotlight turned in their direction. It took them a few hours of waking to finally get there, a few small fry grimm delaying them on the way, and it was night when they arrived.

"Halt! Who goes there?!" Called a lone sentry.

"Yang and Blake!" Yang called, and the sentry lowered his lights.

"Hey, Yang! Good to see you! Please, come inside!" Team RWBY went into the camp, and a bird came towards them, before silently shape shifting and transforming into a familiar man.

"Uncle Qrowww!" Ruby dashed and latched onto her uncle's wrist. "Hey."

"Wow kiddo, I can't believe you're really here." He gave her a small pet and let her down, before looking at the rest, noticing Weiss in particular.

"Well, if it isn't Winter's sister, Weiss Schnee."

"I don't carry that name anymore." He could feel the coldness on his skin as she spoke. "Just call me Weiss, please."

"Weiss? Please don't get mad..." Ruby held her hand, and Weiss' demander seemed to heat up a little, returning her to her usual, slightly less blank self.

"You're right, Ruby. I'm sorry."

Yang went up to him and whispered in his ear. "Yeah, you should stop saying that name around her. I would say she's sensitive about the subject, but currently I'm not even sure she has any emotional capacity to react to this other than shutting everything around her out."

"Whatever you say, chief" He nodded. "Also, is that the robot girl from Atlas?" He pointed towards Penny, still in Yang's arms.

"Yup, she apparently came with us when we were permanently banned from Atlas by Ironwood."

"Damn, that's just impressive" Qrow made a respectful face. "What the hell did you have to do to make James THAT pissed off with you he had you put on his little black list?"

"Well..." Ruby started. "Yang sort of beat up Penny, who was manipulated by the army to attack Weiss, and helped her regain her freedom over herself."

"And why would she attack Weiss?"

"Because they think she tried to kill her _former_ father." Ruby almost made the connection, putting 'former' in her sentence in the last second.

"And did you?" He turned to the former heir.

"No. In truth, I only gave the man a scar before I left and he declared he was going to disown me."

Qrow gave a sarcastic, dry laugh. "Then I guess that's the end of that story, huh? Fuckin' hell, the shit that happens when you're not around to watch..."

"Well, anyway Qrow, about Penny. Her aura is fine, I checked, but it seems that She ran out of power in order to move. Any idea what to do?" Yang asked her uncle while walking towards the main building, from where he and Glynda ran the camp.

"Honestly? I don't have to damned clue. Never been that good at robots, and I seriously doubt Glynda or Ooblek have any idea on the subject as well. For now, we should just get her somewhere relatively safe and think about what's next." They went first to the one of the bedrooms around, and left Penny on one of the beds, letting Yang rest from carrying an unconscious robot for almost an entire day, before making their way back to Glynda

The entered a small hall, and navigated through the rooms until coming to one with the sign saying _Glynda Goodwitch_ on it. Qrow knocked and they could hear Glynda snarl on the other side as she walked to the door.

"I swear to god, Qrow, if you came here at this hour to complain about your booze runni-..." She stopped mid-sentence when she finally saw the four huntresses standing next to him. "Ah. Forgive me for this, please, come in." She invited them into her small office, she returned behind a small, wooden desk she clearly remade from other objects using her semblance, and resumed going over reports delivered by her new huntsmen groups scouting the area. After a few more moments of reading the various exploits done by the young fighters, she turned her face towards the group, each of them except taking a seat on makeshift chairs except Qrow, who leaned in the door.

"I'm glad to see you all are okay and well, especially you two, Ms. Rose and Ms.-" Before she could say Weiss' surname, she noticed Qrow moving his finger across his neck, a distressed look on his face, and figured that whatever it was, she should probably just skip the formalities. "Ms. Weiss." She corrected herself. "Though Weiss, I have to ask: Why are not in Atlas right now? How did you even get here?"

The group gave her a quick summary of recent events, focusing on their little adventure in Atlas, followed by their ban from the entire kingdom. "I see..." Glynda was at a loss for words. "And now Ms. Polendina is so called 'sleeping' somewhere in my camp."

"Pretty much." Yang shrugged.

"Well, for now, I'm just happy to see that you girls are all right." Glynda concluded. "But I have to ask: What are you going to do now?"

"First thing is we get help for Penny" Ruby said. "After that, we go to mount Glenn."

"You can't. The grimm there have become much more aggressive with time. It will be a suicide mission."

"Maybe for your rookies." Yang flexed her Dust Celica and summoned the Blaze Celica as well with a cocky smile. "But I've got _these_ babies. Besides, even though I managed to reunite our team, there's still so much to do, so much beautiful things to preserve. And if we don't do it, then who will?"

"Yeah," Blake continued. "We're not those young students you used to see back at Beacon, Glynda. We're huntresses now, and our job is to keep the monsters that threaten humanity and the faunus at bay."

"We can do this!" Ruby happily exclaimed. "Even if I didn't become as strong as everyone else here, I'm going to catch up to them, and with my silver eyes, I'm sure we'll win." Ruby's innocence and enthusiasm seemed to touch Weiss a little, and she opened her mouth as well.

"Ruby's right, Glynda. We've all changed, for better or for worse, but I for one have decided to leave my past behind me, and a part of that is to go wherever Ruby goes." Ruby's face started to turn red hearing Weiss saying that. "We're going, and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

Glynda looked at them, and she couldn't see the children she remembered them being anymore. Even Ruby, the youngest amongst the group, had a certain glint in her eyes. A glint of understanding that this is no fun fairy tale anymore and that when lives are on the line, there's no going back.

Her eyes were that of a huntress.

"You are correct, Weiss. I most likely won't have a say in whether you four are going to investigate Mount Glenn or not. However, I would like you to stay for a little while nonetheless. You will need to prepare as much as you can, and from personal experience, I can tell you that no training is ever too much training. You are going against the very evils of this world, and you will every ounce of strength you have in order to prevail."

The group considered her words for a small while, before looking at each other and nodding. "Okay Glynda, we'll stay for a short while."

"Excellent. Qrow." He darted a stern look at him and he snapped out of whatever daydream he was in.

"W-Whoze-"

"Qrow, please." She focused him onto the present moment. "Take team RWBY and find them a place to spend the night in."

"Oh, by the way, Glynda." Ruby asked just before she exited the room. "Have you heard anything from Jaune, Ren, or Nora?"

"Ms. Nikos' team? No, unfortunately. Last I heard from your father they went with you to Mistral to investigate Cinder Fall."

"Yeah, we sort of split up. They found a way to return to Vale's shores directly while we went to find Weiss in Atlas."

"I see. Well, I'm sure the three are capable enough to manage to return to Vale on their own. Trade routes have become more active lately, so I'm certain they found a group that could take them back here. Who knows, they might even get here with the next batch of supplies."

"I guess you're right..." Ruby couldn't help but to look a bit worried about Penny as Qrow led them outside and after a few minutes of searching, found them an empty room to sleep in.

"Well, you can rest here for now. If you want any sleeping bags or something, you can go to our small storage to pick up a few. I'll trust you guys not to take too much, we need everything we've got, you know."

"Got it." They said as he left, trying to find something to drink. They brought Penny to their room, so they could keep an eye on her, and got themselves some mattresses and blankets for the summer night.

"Goodnight team." Ruby said as she dove head first into the confines of her dreams, waiting for her training to Qrow and her friend to begin the next day.


	20. Blooming Roses

Team RWBY stood in the training yard, where Glynda was pairing her new students against each other for mock spars. The mood felt so nostalgic to them, reminding of their past days in Beacon itself. Of course, none of the young teens were at the same level as RWBY, and thus, the mostly watched until everyone had their go, and Glynda could call them against each other or maybe even against one of the teachers.

"Next! Ruby Rose VS Weiss!" She finally called after the last match ended. Ruby and Weiss each went to the different sides of the designated area and prepared their weapons, while a crowd of onlookers gathered, including many of the children who wanted to see two totally badass huntresses duke it out.

"Ready Weiss?" Ruby asked confidently.

Weiss just stayed silent. She didn't like the idea of hurting Ruby, but as long as she was careful, Ruby should be just fine. Honestly, Weiss didn't really care whether she won or lost. She just hoped to get another glimpse of emotion during this battle.

"BEGIN!" Glynda yelled, and the crowd roared with excitement.

Ruby used her semblance to get close to Weiss. When it came to close quarters combat, even a skilled combatant like her would stand little chance against Crescent Rose, and while Ruby did not care much for strategies and tactics, instead just preferring to charge head on, she at least knew that much. Weiss, however, knew better than to just let Ruby get close, and jumped away, using her glyphs to ricochet around the battlefield, looking for an opening to strike Ruby from. Ruby looked around franticly trying to focus on Weiss, but to no avail. Weiss' raw speed was too much for her eyes to locate, and she had to resort to the next best thing.

"You may be fast, Weiss. But I'm still faster!"

At this point, the two figures turned into white and red blurs, and various clashing sounds could be heard in the air whenever Myrtenaster and Crescent Rose traded blows. After a couple more minutes of this, the two finally stopped, both Ruby and Weiss having to catch their breath. Weiss could have sworn she felt some excitement as well, but she couldn't tell if it was an actual emotion or just the adrenaline coursing through her.

She retook her stance and focused, letting the glyphs bend and morph and soon after, her armor appeared around her, letting the headgear disperse soon after, drawing the attention of the crowd, some of them only seeing it for the first time. They cheered and called for Ruby to do some awesome television-esque transformation as well, but to their dismay, Ruby didn't have anything of the sort.

"S-Sorry guys..." She embarrassingly admitted, and turned her attention back on Weiss, who seemed to pay no attention whatsoever to the crowd. _Wow, Weiss looks so powerful in pretty in that armor... No! Bad Ruby! Fight now! Admire later!_ She had to think less about Weiss overall beauty and focus herself, seeing as said beauty was now coming at her with speed matching her semblance, and a sword about twice as long from before. _So, now you go close, huh? Okay!_ Ruby pulled her scythe and blocked the light blade, sending a small shockwave all around them from the sheer force. From here, she couldn't pull any punches, seeing as doing so could end up with her and a major bruise.

Slowly, Weiss was getting the upper hand. Even with Ruby matching her in agility and weapon capabilities, Weiss was just stronger, and in this point Myrtenaster's synergy with the light sword covering it is what gave her an edge. She loaded an ice crystal into her sword, and the entire blade shone vivid blue, and Weiss hit the floor with it. Blasts of ice and frost came at Ruby, who had to resort to jumping as high as she could into the air to avoid the blow. Ruby decides to utilize her height and quickly turned around, shooting at the opposite direction to head towards Weiss as fast as she could, only increasing her speed as she went. Weiss saw this and prepared to take Ruby head on, having to time to get away, and the two smashed against each other at full force, Ruby knocking both her and Weiss to the ground. Weiss got up first, and quickly ran up to her while her armor dissipated.

"Ruby, are you hurt?" She couldn't have her Ruby hurt from something like that. _MY Ruby, huh?..._ She decided to entertain this line of thought for a small while and approved of this terminology. _Yeah, she IS my Ruby, isn't she?_ Weiss let that small feeling of desire grow, not wanting to let it waste away, while Ruby looked at her from below, staring directly into her light blue eyes.

 _Wow, Weiss IS pretty..._ The thought went through her head, and she didn't really do anything to resist it. So far, Ruby never really explored her sexuality, seeing as she was a little younger than most of her peers, and this questions just hasn't appeared in her mind yet. Of course, that was over a year ago, and now that she was a bit older, this sort of things started to pop here and there in her life, even around Jaune and Ren, though Ren was out of the question seeing Nora pretty much called dibs on him in front of literally every girl that knew him, and Jaune was, well, Jaune. Whenever she wanted to think about her and him, the first image that would come to her mind is Jaune vomiting on the hovercraft headed to Beacon, and almost instantly every potential that could have been was just lost. She still saw him as a precious friend, but she couldn't bring herself to see them as nothing more than that.

The two stared at each other in complete silence for a whole minute, until Weiss finally opened her mouth. "Ruby? Are you okay?"

Ruby snapped from her little trance. "W-W- YES I AM FINE HAHA."

Weiss got out of her possessive feeling for a moment, and stood up, helping Ruby up as well. The teens around would have given them a round of applaud for their awesome battle, if none of them weren't as red as Ruby's cloak. The tension was felt very clearly in the air, so much so that even Yang started to notice it through her heightened sensitivity to auras.

"W-Well W-Weiss, we sh-should go rest, o-okay?" Ruby mumbled, still flustered from her moment earlier.

"Lets" Weiss followed her as the two left the courtyard and went to look for a place to rest in, leaving a slightly confused Glynda to continue her match reading.

The two walked around the camp, and noticed that many of the children were fooling around, playing games like hide & seek and catch, mostly just having simple fun with others, having no internet or electricity to charge their scrolls with. Some of the kids ran up to Ruby and Weiss as soon as they saw the two, but coming closer, Weiss' unmoving face slightly intimidated them, and they back away, much to Ruby's dismay.

"Aw, I wonder why they left..."

"Well, I guess it does not matter." Weiss said decisively and pushed Ruby forward to find a place where they could be alone. She wanted Ruby, now more than ever, and no one was going to stop her. She just wanted to be with her, and she let her ambition take hold of her, letting another feeling take the stage of her heart.

After a few more minutes of searching, a group of older teens came close to them. One of the group, a teenager only a year younger than Ruby, approached the two.

"U-Umm... Ruby Rose?"

She looked at him with an innocent smile. "Yes?" Weiss' eyes twitched as soon as she noticed where this was going.

"W-Will you go out with me?!" He yelled and closed his eyes in embarrassment, hoping the huntress would say yes. Ever since they got here, many young boys and some girls even started to develop feelings for Ruby and Weiss. They would for Yang and Blake as well, but whenever someone would mention this to one of them, Blake would just politely refuse, saying she already has Yang, and Yang herself would laugh it off, sending a very discouraging massage. After a second, he opened his eyes, only jump back and Myrtenaster's tip almost skewered his nose, and he looked up to see Weiss staring at him with death in her eyes.

"Listen up, you brat." Her voice was cold and furious. "She's. Mine."

The young male and his friends quickly ran away, as Weiss calmed down and turned towards Ruby to see that they didn't do anything to her.

"Weiss, are you okay?..." Ruby went up to her, and held her hand. She was obviously still flustered by Weiss' unintentional confession, but nonetheless she wanted to help her friend first and foremost.

"Yes Ruby, I'm fine" Weiss slowly calmed down. Having Ruby hold her hand gave way to a small wave of happiness, which made Weiss even more sure she wanted her team leader to herself.

"Can we please go now and find a secluded spot?"

"O-Oh. Sure." Ruby continued to walk with Weiss still holding her hand as the teens and other boys looked at the two, some with disappointment, some with slight fear. And finally, after a short hour of searching, they finally got to a small, grassy hill overlooking the majority of the camp, and decided the spot was perfect.

"Hey, Weiss?"

"Yes, Ruby?"

"Earlier, when you said I'm yours. Did you really mean that?"

Weiss looked again into Ruby's eyes, and she could see the desire in the former heir's pupils, though Ruby couldn't quite tell if it was love she saw, or rather just an imitation of one.

"Yes Ruby. I did."

"But what made you think that? You can't just tell me who I b-" Ruby couldn't finish that sentence before Weiss jumped onto her with a deep kiss. Ruby was shocked to see her friend doing such things. The Weiss she remembered would have never even entertained this thoughts, let alone act on them. After Weiss finally broke her first kiss with Ruby, she looked into her eyes again, and this time, Ruby could tell of another emotion in there: Yearning.

"Please, Ruby." Weiss began to tear up a bit. "You have no idea what it's like to have your own heart locked away from you, and on top of that be aware of every single moment. Even though I accepted that this is my reality, it makes this ordeal no less comforting. It's just a never-ending nightmare. Half of my reactions to situations around me are just based on my memory of how I was SUPPOSED to feel, rather than how I REALLY feel. And so far, the one thing, the ONLY thing that makes me move in ANY way." She got closer to her friend. "Is you."

"W-Weiss, I-"

"Please, just be with me, okay?" Ruby couldn't even think about saying anything else. She liked Weiss, sure, but to see her burst with raw emotion thanks to her made Ruby truly realize how much she was important to Weiss as a person. After giving it some thought, Ruby decided that she should at least give it a try, and returned another small kiss back at Weiss.

"Okay. I'll be yours. Buy only if you'll be mine." Weiss came up to her with a long, warm hug, and Ruby could feel Weiss' heartbeat hasten up through her skin. She still wasn't quite sure yet how her sister and her dad would react to all of this, but for now, it didn't matter to her. What's important is that she made Weiss happy, even if for how much she could, and that alone made this whole thing worth it.

They spent the next few hours just talking about many things, from the current situation to their new bond with each other, until the scout in the watch post gave a loud call, so everyone in the camp could hear him.

"Supplies are here!"

"AAAAND COMPANY!" another loud, familiar booming voice echoed throughout the camp, sending Ruby to her legs.

"They're here! Yes! Weissletsgo!" She grabbed Weiss' hand and started to run towards the carts making their way through the gates, and soon enough she started using her semblance to speed herself up, forcing Weiss to generate an accelerating glyph in order to catch up with her Ruby. Soon enough, they reached the route, to see Nora, Ren and Jaune helping the traders unload their goods, Ren and Jaune looking rather tired while Nora was her usual hyperactive self. As they approached their friends, they noticed Yang and Blake coming there as well, seemingly recognizing the chief of the traders.

"Hey, Flynt! Long time no see!"

"Ah, goldilocks. Nice to see you again. Good to see you survived Mistral. Did ya even find that sister of yours?"

"Sure did! She's actually here, with us. Nice to see YOU managed to survive Nora without getting here with all of your carts torn apart."

"Well, can't complain, really." He shrugged. "though that she-devil is like a hurricane on a hammer shaft. Thank god she had that quiet boy there to calm her down."

"Yeah, that's Nora for ya." She gave him a big laugh, and turned her attention to her friends.

"Hey, guys!" She said and saw Ruby approach them as well. She and her sister obviously had the same idea in mind, and there was really no reason to delay.

"Can we speak with Nora for a moment?"

"Sure!" She exclaimed and followed team RWBY as they headed to Penny's bed.

"So Nora, your semblance lets you control electricity, right?" Yang started.

"Yup! That's how I'm so strong!" She made a small flexing motion with her arms.

"The question is, however, is whether you can generate smaller, more gentle currents." Weiss continued.

Nora took a moment to think about Weiss' question, and played for a short while with her fingers, before returning to the conversation. "I guess I can, but why?"

"Because this." Yang said as they reached the room and she opened the door, revealing an unconscious Penny laying on a bed.

"Oh." Nora said and quieted down. She had a feeling of where they were going with this, and somehow, she knew she had no way of saying no. She didn't get to know Penny that well, but after seeing what happened to her by Pyrrha's hands she couldn't just sit this one out.

"So far her aura has fully regenerated, but she still misses electrical power in order to boot herself fully." Yang explained. "Think you could help her?"

"I can try, but I'll need to know exactly how much she needs. Too much could fry her from the inside."

"Well, most atlesian knights function on a 3000Vt regulated green dust crystal, on average. I assume Penny needs something similar in order to kick start her own core." Weiss stated.

"And you know this how?" Yang asked.

Weiss just shot a cold look at her, and Yang quickly figures it was probably another part of her mandatory education, seeing the SDC worked with the military on various occasions, and such cooperation required knowledge of the machinery in which the dust was going to be implemented.

"In any event, the moment you manage to supply Penny with enough power, you need to immediately stop. Her inner dust core will pick up the pace and restart generating its own electricity, and from there Penny should be fine."

"Okay, if you say so..." Nora pulled her Hammer, Magnhild, and played for a few minutes with its configuration, revealing a dial measuring volts, as Magnhild turned into a glorified multimeter, and she pressed its shaft directly against her own skin, and turned one of the dials to its VOLT settings. Having a semblance as hectic and as dangerous as Nora's has taught her a long time ago that she should always carry a multimeter on her at all times, seeing as not having any sort of control over her own electrical currents could result in disaster. "Alright, I'm all set. I just need one of you guys to shock me with a lighting type attack, and from there its go time!"

"Allow me, please." Weiss spun Myrtenaster until the green crystal was on top, and loaded its contents onto her sword, a faint green light forming around the blade. She raised it to the air, and swung at Nora, who caught it with her hand, as a jolt of electricity ran though her, the gauge on her multimeter spiking to the tens of thousands of volts. Slowly, the gauge dropped, as Nora let the thunder go through her to the ground, until she managed to reach around 3500Vt, knowing that some of it would be lost in the by the resistance of her skin and Penny's metal, and pressed her hands on Penny's chest, letting the electricity flow. It took less than a second for the current to run out almost completely, and she pulled up as quickly as she could, and looked to see if it had any effect on Penny.

They waited a whole, silent minute, after which they started to see a faint green light within Penny's chest area. The light flowed, coursing through her entire body, and slowly Penny started to open her eyes.

"I-I'm alive?"

"PENNY!" Ruby couldn't hold herself, and hugged her friend, who was a little shocked by the gesture.

"Ruby..." Penny gave a faint smile. "I'm okay now. Thanks."

"Don't thank me. Thank Nora and Weiss. They're the ones that did most of it."

"Ehh, It was nothin' special." Nora said cockingly, though it was obvious she was tired from this ordeal and had to rest. "So, if you'll excuse me, I'm off to finish up the rest of Flynt's cooking..." She gave them a devilish grin and stormed out, no doubt about to eat much more than is humanly possible to any of them.

"Wow, Nora is such a lively person..." Penny pondered shortly after she left, and Ruby helped her up and walked her outside, so she could see where they are, and gave her a basic explanation of what happened after she showed up next to Ruby's house.

"But still, Penny" Blake couldn't help but wonder. "What about the general? wouldn't he come after you once he realizes you're gone?"

"He probably already did. But it won't help him. I don't want to come back!" Penny exclaimed, and Ruby cheered on with her.

"Yeah! And if he shows up again, we'll protect you, Penny! Just you see!" Penny and Ruby laughed for a short while before Yang had to cut them.

"Well, as much as I'd like to stick around and make fun of that douche, we still have to inform Glynda you managed to wake up. She should be aware that you're going to be around while we're going to mount Glenn."

"Ohh, what're you guys going to do there?" Penny was curious.

"Very important business." Yang didn't want Penny to come along. True, she was back on her feet, but Yang had no idea if that meant that she was already prepared to fight grimm, and by the looks of it, there were going to be tons of grimm on the top of the mountain.

"Okay, if you insist." Penny acted as though she could read Yang's mind. "I'll stay here and keep watch of this camp while you guys go do your 'important business'."

"Okay. Now, let's go tell Glynda about you." The five walked through the base towards Glynda's small office, and knocked on her door. By now she had already finished all the mock battles they had scheduled for today, so this was her time to finally relax after an entire day of having to babysit groups of unprepared huntsmen in training. And Qrow.

"Open." She said with a tired tone as Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang and Penny entered her office. "I see that Ms. Polendina is awake." She took a small sip of her coffee. "That's good news, I presume."

"Yeah, of course it is!" Ruby said excitingly. "And after she's fully powered up she could help you guard the camp!"

"That's very fortunate. This kids really do try their best, but alas, the true people guarding this grounds are me, Qrow, Ooblek and the rest of the adults. I mostly send them on missions without any real danger involved so far, but hopefully soon they'll be able to hold off more serious grimm."

"Well, if you don't send them to the field, how are they going to get any real experience?" Yang asked. "Look at how strong we've got, thanks to having to deal with grimm all the time." She paused for a second. "Hell, me and Blake killed a goliath! That's something!"

"Except you already had almost an entire year at beacon under your belt by that point, plus your dust arm only boosts your strength by who knows how much. It's just not the same."

"I guess. But you should, at least, consider giving them something more interesting than a bunch of young beowulves of a small ursa here and there."

"Dear god, you sound just like your uncle..." Glynda sighed and recomposed herself. "I'll think about it, but by no means does this means yes."

"Fair enough. And now that we've gotten THAT out of the way..." Yang brought up the original reason they came. "Tomorrow the four of us are going to head out to Glenn to continue our investigation. Just wanted to pass that up by you before we vanish and you would have no idea where if we went already or just disappeared."

"Very well, just be sure to stock up on whatever you'll need for the journey. We don't have any transportation to take you there directly, but you could use the underground tunnels to take you to the undercity beneath the ruins themselves. From there I guess you won't have a problem reaching the mountaintop, or at least what's left of it."

"Sounds like a plan." Yang concluded as the four went out to prepare for the fights ahead.


	21. Leadership

"Girls, C'mon! Just listen to me for once!"

It's been a few days, and so far, team RWBY has just been walking through debris and ruins of the old train tunnel, headed towards Mountain Glenn. They've been fighting grimm left and right, and while each of them was formidable on her own, the four of them together basically tore each grimm they saw apart. However, Ruby had just one main problem with all of this: For some reason, unknown to her, none of the other team members would bother listen to her when she gave orders around the battlefield. Yang and Blake, far too busy focusing on each other's moves, acted flawlessly as a combination, fluidly weaving sword into punch one after another, clearing many of the grimm in the process. Weiss, while do sticking next to Ruby, was so obsessed with her well being that the only thing she did was keep watch no grimm even touched a hair on her head.

"Seriously, what's the point of being team leader if no one listens to you..."

"Hmm?" Yang turned her head while bashing another Beowulf's face in. "You said something Rubes?" Yang and Blake didn't mean to ignore Ruby. She was still their team leader, but whenever she would command them into a particular move, Yang just couldn't help but see a better way to accomplish victory. She and Blake have been fighting as a duo for quite some time now, so when Ruby tells her to combine her strength with Weiss', she just sort of, tuned it out unintentionally. She knew that Blake was the same, the two lovers already gaining a connection that allowed reading the other's movements around the battlefield, allowing for some very creative combinations of Yang's Dust Celica and Blake's clone semblance.

Ruby just gave her sister a groan. "No. Nothing at all, sis."

They marched on through the tunnel, heading towards the ruins of the colony on the mountain. It took them far more than they expected, but seeing as last time they rode the opposite direction on a train going mach one, it was sort of a given things would go slower than they expected. Suddenly, the four heard a hissing sound coming from the darkness ahead, and a deathstalker skittered towards them, its claws at the ready to snap each of them like a twig. Yang, without missing a beat, dashed towards it as well, using her Dust and Blaze Celicas to hold one the scorpion's claws open, while Blake jumped from behind her and slashed it off using a combination of a clone and a calculated blow from Gambol Shroud, all of this without Ruby even having a chance to tell them what she thought they should do. And soon enough, as the grimm got a wee bit closer, Weiss was already in full armor, hacking at its head for even attempting to get close to her girlfriend.

"OH COME ON! I didn't even get to join in on this one!" Ruby was getting angrier and angrier at her team. She was supposed to LEAD them, not just stand around and dispense praises whenever one of them managed to kill another bloodcurdling abomination.

"Sorry Ruby, we just got in the zone pretty fast there..." Yang tried to excuse herself.

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Blake added, "We'll make sure to include you more."

"Don't patronize her." Weiss immediately went between them. "Ruby is right. We should strive to listen to her more."

"It's okay, sheesh..." She was already embarrassed enough to hear the rest of her team argue about her skills as a leader, though Ruby had an inkling as to why they didn't listen to her: She was too weak. _I mean look at them._ She thought to herself while the group continued their journey. _Yang has a freaking dust arm, and THAT's given her some really cool abilities. Blake can now make literal clones of herself, and she's basically a walking Atlisian army knife. And Weiss, besides always being close to me, has also developed a unique summoning skill of her own, and a kickass armor to boot. And what do I have? Some stupid eyes I can't even control properly?..._ She glanced at herself at a puddle she went by, and looked carefully at her inheritance from her mother, Summer rose. "Oh, mom... What am I supposed to do?..."

After another day or so of walking, they finally reached the undercity beneath Glenn, and each of them used her abilities to jump back to the surface, in her own way. They regrouped at the top of the ruins, where nothing but destroyed buildings and wrecked streets covered the view.

"Wow, reminds me of that time we went here with Doctor Ooblek. It seems like such a long time ago..." Yang reminisced, and Ruby recalled these events, though they seemed so far and distant to her. Even though it was only a little more than a year ago, they went here to investigate about the White Fang's plans with Roman Torchwick, to Ruby it felt like eons.

"You can say that again." Blake seemed to agree. "Though I have to admit, we were a lot more naive back then..."

"W-What do you mean by naive?" Ruby didn't like the use of that word for some reason.

"I mean look at us! When we first came here, we still had stars in our eyes of becoming renowned huntresses, and how we will save the world and such. But back then we didn't even have any idea who or what were behind all this, instead going after petty crooks who, in the end, were nothing compared to what really posed the threat." She paused for a few seconds and looked around, letting the sad sights in. "I remember when Ooblek asked me why I wanted to be a huntress. I remember my feeling about this question so vividly; it feels like it was yesterday. But even then, I was misguided. I believed what I wanted was to stop corruption, stop hatred, make everyone think differently, while in truth." She turned her eyes sadly towards Wilt & Blush, still resting on her hips. "I was just naive I could make a difference on my own." Her face rose up to look at her team. "And recently, I've realized something: I just can't force everyone to change. I can't bring others to my way of thinking by trying to force their hand into accepting the faunus. What I really can do, however, I to help as many people as I can, so that others will see me for who I really am, and not for some faunus. True change won't come with strife. It will come naturally, and with time. The best I can do right now is just to accept who I am, and not let anyone repress that person anymore."

Yang began to tear up a bit, and she went over to hug her partner. "Oh, Blakey. That was a really amazing speech..." She broke up the hug and kissed her lover, to which Ruby covered her eyes while Weiss silently turned her head, rolling her eyes. Unlike those two, SHE knew how to treat her Ruby, and acting all lovey dovey in public wasn't something she wanted to do.

Ruby took what Blake said very carefully. She knew she was a bit childish here and there, and that no one would really put it against her, but was she really that naive not to notice how the world around her changed? She started it all by just going with three other undertrained teenagers on a journey facing powers that she probably had no chance of beating on her own, and still sort of expected to rise out as the hero of the world, and save everyone from Cinder, Roman, and whoever else could possibly be hiding out there. Suddenly, it finally hit her: _THIS is why no one listens to me anymore!_ It all made sense to her: She was just too childish, basing her decisions on what SHE thought should happen, without considering her entire team first, and even her surroundings for that matter. She strived to try and improve upon herself by being a better leader, and as luck would have it, a couple of nevermores flew above them, starting to descend with blinding speed. A perfect chance to prove her worth to the rest. Ruby thought quickly, and took a survey of the area, only to see the many pieces of debris laying around, which gave her an idea.

"Yang! Grab the rock over there! Blake, on it, NOW!" Ruby knew Yang didn't have her long range moves anymore, and even more than that was more of a ground-based fighter anyway. Blake, on the other hand, was just as quick and nimble in the air as she was on the ground, thus sending her as a preemptive strike would be the most effective. Yang thought about it for a fraction of a second, before running for the nearest piece of concrete she could find, as Blake dashed on top of it. Yang hurled the boulder at the grimm, and Blake quickly jumped onto one of the nevermore's backs, slashing it across until it started to fall over, dead, and Yang went to catch her before she crash-landed. Meanwhile, the other bird came at her and Weiss, but Ruby already had an idea.

"Weiss, prepare a glyph and launch me over there."

"No! Definitely not!" Weiss protested. She would not have Ruby endanger herself like that.

"Weiss, do it!" Ruby pleaded. "Just trust me!"

It took Weiss another second of self-debating, but in the end, she decided to put her trust in Ruby and aimed a glyph at the grimm until it turned pitch black from the sheer power it contained. Ruby jumped onto the glyph and waited for the perfect moment to release herself against the monster.

"NOW!"

Weiss closed her eyes and launched her Ruby into the air. She felt afraid and worried, which were a bit new for her at the moment, and she realized Ruby helped her unlock yet another part of herself, this time much more vividly, though at that point Weiss could only wish she didn't. Feeling fear was something she did NOT miss, at all, and when she finally peeked at the battle, she saw Ruby cutting the nevermore's head in one fell swoop, before using her scythe's bullets to redirect herself onto the ground, landing on her feet. Weiss' fear was replaced with a wave of relief, and she ran to her precious partner and jumped onto her, giving her a tight hug.

"Please, just don't do that again, okay? It scared me." Hearing Weiss speaking like that was a little weird for Ruby, but then again, all of it just meant that her healing process was going great, and that who knows, maybe Weiss will soon be able to experience emotion fully again.

"Aww, Weiss..." Ruby couldn't help herself, and she returned a hug back. "I didn't want to worry you..." She let go of Weiss as Yang came back, holding Blake in her arms.

"Well, Ruby, I gotta say: This one was a pretty good plan. I knew Ozpin made you team leader for a reason."

She looked at her sister, and rose up on some piece of a building, to address her friends. "You know, I realized something important about myself: So far, I was naive as well, but in more ways than I thought." She looked around, and Oobleck's words echoed through her mind as if he just told her them yesterday: "Look around you and tell me: What do you see?"

Her team took a quick tour of the area, only to come up with mostly generic responses: A bunch of debris, broken asphalt, grimm all over, this sort of thing. At that moment, Ruby's mind connected all the pieces: "Well, 'I see lives that could have been saved.' Ooblek told me those words, way back when we first came here, and at first, I wasn't sure what he really meant by that. But now, when I look at this place, I see more than just a reminder of a past failure. No, what I see is a memorial for the ingenuity and ability of humankind, to venture forth outside the familiar and the safe, and explore new, strange things. Sure, we make mistakes as well, but from each death, we learn, just as the grimm do. We adapt, change, and when we stand as one, not a single threat can stop us. That's how Cinder won, by the way." She gave them a moment to ponder on this. "She won because she understood why we work, and how to drive us apart. Well not anymore!" She felt herself brimming with confidence. "I won't stand by and watch as innocent people die while thinking this world is all about adventure and heroes!" Tears began to form on her face. "The age of fairy tales is dead. Now only we are left to pick up the mantle."

Team RWBY was filled with determination. Ruby's resolve touched every one of them, even Weiss, and Yang looked at her sister's aura, only to see it overflowing. There was a change to it; something snapped, and now it flowed unleashed, no longer bound by petty fairy tales and beliefs. She wasn't sure what triggered this change in her sister, but it did not matter: She could no longer see her sister as a child, and another image replaced that: The image of a leader.

The climbed the mountain, and upon reaching the top, or at least what's left of it, they saw the giant crater left by the dragon's awakening. It was massive, terrifying even, and grimm were oozing out of every shadow, seemingly still spawning from the leftovers of the dragon.

"Well, I have to admit: I expected more than that." Yang sounded a little disappointed.

"Don't be. We have no idea what lurks in there, and until we've made sure the area is clear, we leave a single stone unturned. Remember, Cinder Fall is deeply related to this grimm dragon, and there's no saying where she could possibly be." Ruby replied, and each of them prepared to fight a quite literal army of grimm.

The battle was fierce, more so than any of them anticipated. The grimm came relentlessly, each one slain begetting ten more, and it seemed that there was just no end to this stream of blackness. Yang was bashing through them with her Dust and Blaze Celicas, Blake followed her and covered her fire with her semblance, and Ruby and Weiss used their combined speeds to dance around the battlefield, killing as many grimm as they could, but in the end, it just didn't stop. Eventually, they were all cornered, and it seemed like there was no escape from death at that point. Weiss' armor already dissipated earlier due to lack of aura, and even Yang began to tire out. Ruby looked at her team and realized that there was only one solution to this. She started to step forwards.

"Ruby, wait..." Yang called, but was too weak to stop her. She knew full well what Ruby was planning to do, and she just couldn't let her.

"Don't worry, Yang. I'll be fine." Ruby said decisively and turned her attention back at the grimm. She felt her aura, unbound and free, flow into her eyes as they filled with power. Soon, a faint white glow started to form, while Ruby only pushed on, making many of the grimm step back. The power only increased, and soon Ruby line of sight was completely covered by whiteness. She couldn't see anything, and felt her aura oozing through her eyes, forming streams of energy from each of them. This was her silver eyes at full force, and it was now or never. She picked up Crescent Rose, And shifted it to scythe mode, before vanishing into thin air. One by one, the grimm fell, no matter the shape, size, or ability. She didn't even need to see them, her heart just guided her hands to their targets, and before she knew it, they were all gone. Even the patches of blackness left over by the dragon were cleansed, meaning grimm would no longer spawn from this pit. She let her strength leave her slowly, as her eyes returned to their original state, and she fell unconscious, only to be caught by Weiss a second later.

* * *

The group had no idea when Ruby would wake up. It's already been a day, and seeing as there was nothing more to be had on mountain Glenn, they decided it was probably best to just go back, letting Ruby rest along the way. As they walked through the tunnels, heading back to Vale, Weiss, who carried Ruby at that point, not letting Yang even go near her, felt the blacked out Ruby start to rustle, and soon enough, she opened her silver eyes to the sight of the catacombs.

"Ugh... How long was I out this time?" She mumbled, and Weiss put her down, to let her get up on her feet.

"A little less than 24 hours." Blake answered.

"Wow, that fast?" Ruby was genuinely expecting way worse. "Last time it was for about an entire week."

"Well, I guess you aura just handled it better this time." Yang gave her a small smirk, hinting she knew more than she let on. Ruby this as good news, and finally got up, letting herself get quickly reaccustomed to her legs.

"So wait, what happened back there?" She suddenly remembered the fight that broke out in the mountain's crater.

"You sort of killed all of them, single-handedly." Yang answered. "It was quite impressive really. You were there, eyes glowing and stuff, when all of a sudden you just disappeared. Then, one after the other, the grimm died, and after only a few minutes the entire place was purified of any shred of black ichor left."

"Wow, that sounds really cool. I just wish I had any memory of doing that..." That was another thing that bothered Ruby. If she would just black out, it would have been fine. But her not remembering any of what she did really bothered her. How was she supposed to master this power of hers if she couldn't recall anything sans how to activate it? "Well, I guess all's well that ends well." She concluded as the group continued the return journey.

Finally, after a few days, they could see the other end of the tunnel, and a few short minutes of brought them back to the commercial district of Vale, the sunrise only starting before their eyes. They were tired, but it was nothing a good rest wouldn't solve.

"Mission success!" Ruby called. She was happy, seeing as for the first time ever she was a team leader on a serious mission, without any guidance by a teacher or some other huntsman, and she managed to lead her team to victory, and ensure that everyone returned safely, just like a huntress should. "Let's go back to the camp and report to Glynda!"

Before any of them could reply with a cheer of anything else for that matter, an ear shattering screech could be heard throughout the entirety of Vale. They looked around, only to see the grimm in the area noticing that sound and walking towards it, completely ignoring them even as they walked past. They looked at the direction of the voice, and what they saw horrified them:

The dragon was awakening, and they were too far away to stop it.


	22. The Fight For Vale, Part 1

Team RWBY barely had time to think as they rushed as fast as they possibly could towards Glynda's camp, to help guard everyone. The grimm dragon, which was frozen last year in place by Ruby's sliver eyes, was starting to awaken, and it's roars of rage and vengeance called every grimm that heard it towards the ruins of Beacon, gathering and feeding it themselves so it could replenish it's power as soon as possible. However, it could not take flight just yet, giving the girls barely enough time to get to the main gates.

"OPEN THE GATES NOW!" Ruby shouted at the sentry who hurried to let them in, quickly closing the gates behind them. When they arrived, they saw that the people there already started to prepare for the worst: Supplies were already being stocked, weapons were sharpened, those who still had any shred of faith in these times prayed to whatever god they believed it. The smaller children were being hurdled into shelters improvised by Glynda underground, in an attempt to safeguard them from the carnage bound to happen soon. They ran straight up to her office and blew the door open, only to see her, Qrow, Ooblek and the rest of the adults discussing what to do.

"This is madness!" Called one of them. "This thing is going to kill us all! We have to run!"

"Oh yeah?!" Qrow almost slapped his face off. "And where exactly?! Do you really think any of the other kingdoms will accept any of us?! I'd be damned surprised to see even one ship headed here to help us this time!"

"SILENCE!" Glynda slammed her riding crop on the desk, and all of them fell into silence. "This decision is final. We will stay and fight. These children count on us, and I will personally kill any of you that will forsake them like their parents and guardians myself!"

"Glynda! We're back!" Yang called, attracting everyone's attention to the group.

"Excellent. Please tell me you've found something important regarding the dragon up there..." Glynda's voice was filled with desperation and hope.

"I'm afraid not." Blake continued. "However, we have discovered that grimm were spawning en masse in the crater left behind it. Fortunately, Ruby managed to purify it using her silver eyes."

"That's great news." Glynda quickly concluded. "That means that less grimm will appear to help the dragon recover, which buys us a bit more time to prepare."

"Wait, you were serious?" Weiss couldn't believe Glynda would really make such decision. "You're not going actually FIGHT that, are you?"

"We have no choice." Glynda's face turned grim. "So far, the main population in this camp is children, and they won't be able to run away in time, or they are simply too young to understand what is even happening yet. Either way, I made a promise to many of them not to leave them behind, and I have no intention to neglect this vow. Now," She turned to the four huntresses standing before her.

"Will you help fight for Vale's future?"

They stood in silence, thinking about all the things that they went through in the last year, alone or together. They fought against the same enemies, yet each developed her own resolve.

"Yeah, I'll stay." Ruby started. "So far, I believed that this would be a fairy tale, a story where I could become the hero to save the day and bring joy and happiness to everyone. Lately, however, even with all the advancements I've made using my power, I've only discovered more and more that this world isn't a happy story. This IS a war, and people WILL die." Her face was filled with determination. "But I will still do my best to make sure as little people perish as possible."

"Same here." Blake joined Ruby's decision. "I've always wanted to be accepted by everyone, even though I am a faunus. But I was so caught up in my own views of how the world SHOULD be, that I neglected to open my eyes to see what it IS. And I've already made up my mind: I will protect everyone I can so that people will accept me and my kind not because we are entitled to it, but because we've EARNED it."

"Can't argue there." Yang gave a cocky smile. "This arm of mine has taught me so many things about myself, and about the world around me. I've seen so many people, in so many different shapes and forms, and even though some are darker or lighter than others, all of them, human or faunus, are one and the same: Auras. Souls. And this beauty is about to be torn apart by that monster. So yeah, I'll stay. I'll stay to protect this world I love so much."

Weiss stood in silence as others stared at her. She didn't have any speeches to give, or any high morals to share, but deep inside, she could feel her heart burn with love for Ruby. It was unfathomable to her, and it was the first time in months she felt such an emotion burn this brightly within her. She didn't care for the world, or for its people. She had Ruby, and that was enough to make her fight. "I stay for Ruby's sake. We promised we'll be each others, and I will protect her, even if it kills me."

"A year ago, I asked Ooblek why he wanted to be a huntsman." Ruby turned towards the history teacher. "And I think I've finally made up my mind about my own reasons: I want to be a huntress, because there is NOTHING else in this world, that I would rather be." She paraphrased him, word for word, but the strength of her sentence lost none of its effect on the huntsmen sitting before her. Each, one by one, started to clap wildly, and spirits were lifted against the coming threat.

"Then it's decided." Qrow got up and walked towards them. "I think that I speak on everyone's behalf when I say that the four of you could probably take on any of us and win. Hell, only two of you was all that's needed to tie with me, so yeah, pretty great stuff. You guys are the best chance we've got, and if I were Ozpin, I would have probably already made you my main combatants in this war." He gave them a short pause. "But Ozpin liked to work in the shadows, plan in secret, and so far, his methods proved successful. But we can't hide things anymore: Cinder Fall is probably with that dragon, and she possess the fall maiden's powers." The rest of the group who didn't know stopped cheering, and the atmosphere went dead silence.

"You mean the legends? The myths?"

"The same ones that we grew up with, yes." They couldn't believe their ears. "In a huge twist, yeah, they're all real. So real in fact that one was attacked, and her power stolen by none other than the same person that orchestrated Vale's fall." He didn't even try to hide any of this. "I'm not asking you to just blindly believe me, but you should know: What we are about to fight, will go beyond what is human."

The crowd went silent, but soon enough, people started to cheer each other up again.

"So what? We survived this long; we'll survive one more battle."

"We have all the children to think about! We have to protect them!"

Yang could clearly see it, even without her Dust Celica: The hope that shone through these people has transformed itself into a few, driving force: Bravery.

"But wait, if they are going to fight the grimm, who will help us keep them at bay?" One of them asked, and the a small string of doubt passed through the adults. Sure, they were strong, but against that many?

"Let US handle that!" They heard a call, and Penny, Jaune, Nora, and Ren showed up. Penny was looking much better, having fully recovered from her coma, and the subsequent shocking from Nora. She opened her mouth again.

"We can help by staying near the walls and taking out as many of them as we can. That way Ruby and her team can focus solely on the grimm dragon and its termination."

"Penny," Ruby was still slightly concerned for her friend. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

"Yes, Ruby." She gave her a determined look. "I'm combat ready!"

A huge roar covered the area.

"We're out of time. Everyone, go outside, now!" Glynda quickly concluded the emergency meeting, and everyone ran outside to their positions. Penny, as she suggested, immediately took a good spot on top of the wall surrounding the camp, giving her a good view of the entire area. She saw grimm, of all shapes, sizes and ages run towards the small encampment where the last humans and faunus of Vale's main city stood, in an attempt to reduce them to the dust from which they came. All she could do is smirk, as blade after blade appeared behind her, creating a wall of swords. With a flick oh her hand, the blades shimmered in the sunlight and danced, slicing and dicing grimm left and right, leaving the smaller ones that got through to team JNR, who valiantly killed every grimm that managed to get too close. Glynda took the helm inside the camp, tending to the children, making sure they were not afraid. The last thing they needed was a group of frightened children to call forth even more grimm, only making this harder. Ooblek and Qrow, along with the rest if the adults, divided the junior huntsmen amongst them, each leading a group to stand against the grimm on different edges of the camp, surrounding the entire area.

Meanwhile, Ruby and her team ran towards the hordes of grimm, willingly ignoring most of them. They would need every ounce of strength they had in order to survive the fight ahead, and they knew that Penny and the others wouldn't let a single grimm inside. In front of them, the dragon roared and shrieked, and black ooze dripped from its stomach, creating lesser grimm to attack the camp with. Finally, the two forces met face to face, and the dragon landed in front of them, only to reveal a particular person and two others sitting on top of it. Ruby couldn't believe her eyes.

"CINDER!" Just as the informant in Mistral told her, Cinder was fine. She was more than fine, actually: She looked as if this was the best goddamn day of her life. She grinned evilly at the small group in front of her, and a condescending look began to form on her face, as her eyes burned with bright, yellow flames.

"Oh." Cinder replied. "I did not expect to see you here again. How amusing." She gave a small, cynical laugh, and the dragon roared as well. On both her sides, two of her team sat with her: On the left side was Mercury Black and on her right side Emerald Sustrai, both looking absent minded. Cinder snapped her fingers, and the two suddenly returned to the present moment, and jumped off the dragon to face the group. Cinder snapped her fingers again, and the two focused on the team, Cinder seemingly controlling them in some manner.

"You..." Yang growled at Mercury, who only gave her a devilish grin in return. "What? Want to break your legs again?"

"If you actually think you could beat that time, you have another thing coming." He pulled his pant's sleeves up, revealing his robotic legs, which sent Yang into a fit of rage.

"WHAT?! YOU FUCK!" She couldn't stop herself, and dashed ahead to fight him, Blake following suit. To her, the Vytal festival was a decisive moment of her life, and knowing that all this time, all the pain she went through, was all just an act on his part, made her lose her shit. Her eyes glowed bright red, and her Dust and Blaze Celicas brimmed with power, and the three clashed, stuck in close combat to the apparent death. Mercury was faster than Yang, sure, and thanks to her dust enchantments she was far stronger, with Blake keeping Mercury on his toes. He came at Yang with an overhead kick, but before the attack could connect one of Blake's clones caught him, giving Yang enough space to deliver a clean punch straight to his groin. Unfortunately, his legs were faster, and he managed to pry himself out of clone-Blake's grip and jump away, prolonging this game of cats and mouse.

"Well, that escalated quickly." Emerald turned to the rest. "So. Who's ne-?" Before she could even finish her sentence, Ruby was already swinging Crescent Rose at her, forcing Emerald to dodge and retaliate with her own weapons, but before she could even approach Ruby, Weiss was already waiting for her, fully armored, and swung as hard as she could at her. Another calculated jump, and both Ruby and Weiss were keeping Emerald on the ropes, not giving her even a moment to react to anything they did sans dodging. Weiss threw everything she had at Emerald, creating solid glyphs to limit her movement at every corner, while also supplying Ruby with platforms to bounce herself off of, swinging her scythe at Emerald from every direction she could. Emerald, though not being able to react to her directly, tried to use her semblance of manipulation the senses to try and disorient both Ruby and Weiss, breaking the combination. But every time she attempted to do this, Weiss stone-hard resolve snapped her out of it, letting her rebalance herself, and even join in on the offensive here and there, slashing and slicing at Emerald whenever she could.

It didn't take long, though, until Cinder rose up on her legs, and both her henchmen stood stiffly in an instant, and jumped away obediently.

"Enough!" She called, very annoyed. "Did you really think I just came here to have you two fight Ozpin's chosen? Honestly, you were meant to be nothing more than a starting course. If anything, it will allow you to see truly what you're up against." She started to make a squeezing motion with her hand, and both Emerald and Mercury began to twitch and twist in pain, turning darker and darker. Soon, she closed her fist completely, and the two shrieked in unimaginable terror as their insides turned pitch black, and they literally melted in exploded into black blood in front of the girls, causing them disgust just watching that. Soon, all that was left of Emerald Sustrai and Mercury Black were two, small, black puddles of sludge and ichor.

"What? Did you really think THOSE pathetic things were of any importance to me? My goals are much, much nobler than those two tiny lowlifes could fathom, and when they finally managed to get a glimpse on my true desires, they decided to rebel, hoping to at least escape from my clutches. How wrong they were." She turned her attention back on RWBY, and the dragon raised its head, readying a breath of pure darkness.

"How COULD you?! They were still people!" Ruby yelled furiously, and the dragon unleashed his breath, surrounding the group in a black shroud. Seconds later, the fog cleared, and Ruby stood in the middle, her eyes shining bright white. Cinder deserved no mercy, from anyone, and if Ruby needed to kill her order to save others, then so be it.

"So you think THIS little trick will work twice? Huh! Let's see how you fair against the full might of the creatures of grimm!" The dragon raised to the air, and flew around them, periodically spawning lesser grimm to kill them. Ruby didn't waste a second and addressed her team.

"Weiss, launch me off a glyph. Yang, throw Blake into the air. We'll intercept it and try to force it to land. Meanwhile, Yang, start throwing rocks at the wings as well, and Weiss, use your lightning dust to knock it down. Don't be afraid to hit me of Blake; we'll be ready to redirect it."

"Right!" Yang called and took Blake in her hand, aiming at the dragon, and while it still took Weiss a little bit of time, she finally agreed and prepared her glyph. The two launched their partners into the air, and Ruby morphed Crescent Rose into its rifle configuration, shooting Yang's pure dust rounds for as long as she was in long range, Blake mimicking her with Gambol Shroud's machine gun mode. Cinder tried to move the dragon out of the way, but Ruby was quicker than she anticipated and managed to land a direct hit with her scythe form, coupled with Weiss' thunderbolts, at the dragon's left wing, causing it to lose balance and starting to fall. Blake managed to hit the other wing as well, its lowered altitude only making it easier for her to connect with it, and the dragon crashed into the ground, its majestic wings ruined. Ruby and Blake jumped away, and the crew quickly dispatched the lesser grimm around them, while the dragon staggered in pain to stand on its legs.

"Be careful. We may have taken it off the air, but it is no less dangerous." Ruby quickly noted.

"Well, that's a pleasant surprise. Humans and faunus managing to reach so far. But I'm not done yet!" Cinder started to levitate off the dragon's head, the rings around her eyes only growing wilder.

"Now, you get to die by MY hands." She declared and conjured a massive fireball at the group. While they dodged her continues attacks, Yang thought got an idea, remembering what Weiss told her about elemental crystals. She quickly took a red crystal she packed with her, and ground some of it on her Dust Celica, letting the red dust fuse into her arm. It melded with the orange crystal, and became a red stand on it, while Yang could feel its raw power coursing through her. Cinder sent another fireball, but this time, Yang was ready: She jumped into the line of fire, and caught the flaming inferno with her weapons, partially absorbing the attack. The rest, burning hot in her hands, was launched back at Cinder, who was hit with her own move directly, leaving her slightly burnt.

"Yang, what did you do?!" Ruby was surprised as well.

"Just something small Weiss told me!" Yang gave her a confidant face. "You guys keep her pressured. I'll stop her fiery strikes and send them back at her!"

"Okay!" Ruby called and she, Blake and Weiss made their move at Cinder, who continued to throw flames and fireballs at them, only for Yang to interrupt and redirect them back at her. Shortly after, Cinder summoned her twin blades and started to combine more physical attacks into the mix, chaining swings with her swords, transforming them into a bow and sending arrows at them, and occasionally igniting the floor, sending a pillar of flame from below.

Ruby was dashing around the battlefield, trying to get close to Cinder, as a shrieking noise came from beneath her, and quickly rolled away before a flame pillar could roast her alive, and Weiss, in a fit of rage, retaliated with her own knight's sword, sending a myriad of slashes at Cinder, who flew away from harm's path, and conjured a flame javelin, aiming it at Weiss. Before it could hit, however, Yang was already in position to absorb her attack, and Blake surrounded her, attacking from five directions at the same time. Cinder bellowed in rage, and surrounded herself with a ring of fire, nullifying Yang's comeback and killing all the clones, while the original Blake used an afterimage to get away to another one to return quickly to the offensive, trying to knock Cinder over. Suddenly, they heard the dragon roar. It may be unable to fly, it's wings too damaged and torn apart by Ruby and Blake's blades, but it could still fight, sending it's claws at them, while Cinder flew around it, knowing in advance where it was going to strike. The group dodged, and as the fight progressed, Ruby took note of Cinder's knowledge of the dragon's movements, which meant they had SOME way of communicating with each other. She decided to make this into an advantage.

"It won't hit Cinder! Focus your firepower on her and follow her movements!" She called and started to chase the fall maiden, using her semblance to mimic Cinder's quick movements through the air to go through the dragon's claws, attempting to slice them off in the process, but to no avail. The rest of the team followed her order, and soon it became a wild chase through the beast's claws, as each of them focused on Cinder as much as they could.

Weiss jumped in the air with a glyph's help, and prepared her sword as she fell, impaling one of the dragon's front arm. It screamed in pain, and retracted the limb, giving the team a bit more breathing space between Cinder's fiery barrage and the grimm dragon's breaths and claws. Yang was second to strike, using a bolt of fire she caught from Cinder to incinerate part of the dragon's other arm, rendering it useless. The dragon had enough. It raised its head again, and blew a cloud of pure ichor at them, blinding everyone. Ruby tried to purify it with her silver eyes, but the shock from earlier was too great, and she had to wait a bit longer in order for her full strength to return. Cinder took this opportunity, and went full force in the dark, being able for some reason to see clearly through it. Weiss' armor protected her, while Blake had to resort to instinct to predict from where Cinder was coming, and Yang lighted the area around her with the Dust Celica, making it semi-possible for her to see. Ruby, however, was lost, having no improved defensive measure, thus being the primary target for Cinder's blows. She was blown away by a bolt of fire, and was tossed outside the cloud of blackness.

"RUBY!" Weiss heard her cry in pain, and loaded a marble-white crystal into Myrtenaster, creating a gush of wind to try and clear the fog, only to temporary succeed, giving her and the rest just enough time to get out of it to see Ruby, laying on the floor. Yang quickly kneeled before her, and while Weiss and Blake kept Cinder and the dragon occupied, put her Dust Celica on Ruby's chest and let her aura flow through, regenerating Ruby's aura as much as she could until the leader was awake.

"Thanks, Yang, now help me up." Yang gave her a hand and Ruby stood up, as Weiss and Blake regrouped, seeing their leader was back in the game.

"Well, I think we kept this charade going for far enough." Cinder said coldly.

"Oh yeah? And what makes you think we're done here yet?" Yang retorted. "Maiden powers or no, you'll run out of aura eventually. And when you do, you're as good as dead."

"Oh really now?" She laughed sarcastically. "Then come at me, huntresses, and see with your own two eyes the futility of your actions here." Cinder landed, her fires around her eyes vanishing. She was tainting them. "Well, come now! Let's see what you've got!"

"Fine by me!" Yang dashed ahead, delivering a series of punches and dust morphed claws at her. Yang's true intention was as she said: She was going to tire Cinder until her aura ran out, and then finish her off. "Well?! You guys are coming or what?!" She called to the rest, who ran up to help her take down Cinder. Cinder didn't even try to fight back, only resorting to dodging the various weapons and gun shots thrown at her. Weiss came to impale her from above, and Cinder simply jumped to the side, and while seemingly walking straight into Ruby's range for a clean beheading, and even then all Cinder had to do was just jump back, continuously avoiding it all. Even the dragon stopped it's assault, seemingly just content to watch his mistress deal with the puny mortals, while letting his arms rest from the wounds. After a whopping ten minutes of nonstop barrages, team RWBY themselves were starting to tire out, having a limited amount of aura as well. Cinder, seeing this, grinned and shifted her stance, starting to attack them as well. With the tables turned, it only took her a short while until RWBY couldn't take anymore, and jumped away, having to rest.

Yang just couldn't accept it. "How?! How can you last THIS long?! It's impossible!"

"Is it, now?" Cinder pondered. "Then perhaps you should take a closer look, ancient."

Yang had no idea why would Cinder call her that, but she was right. She raised her Dust Celica and closed her eyes, letting her surroundings go dark as the aura of her team and of her friends in the camp a few miles away started to glow. She concentrated until her awareness was condensed only to the battlefield around her, and she looked at the auras around her. Obviously, the dragon was invisible to her, but she could see everyone else: Ruby, Weiss, Blake, herself and...

_Where is Cinder?_

She tried again, focusing harder. Perhaps she was missed her from exhaustion, so a second look should do it, but the result was the same with each try: Her team was there, Cinder was not. She gave it a third, fourth, even fifth attempts at seeing her, while her mind rejected the simple truth.

"Now, do you see why you can't beat me?" Cinder started to laugh manically as Yang came to her horrifying conclusion, her team only needing to look at her twisted face to understand what she just realized.

Cinder Fall _had_ no aura.

Cinder Fall had NO soul.


	23. The Fight For Vale, Part 2

"W-What, ARE YOU?!" Yang cried in fear. She was ready for a lot of things: She was ready for the dragon. For the hordes of blood hungry monsters that would feast on her the second they got the chance. For the potential death of some, or even many of her friends. She was NOT, however, ready for was whatever Cinder truly was. She looked human, even acted like some, and yet, no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't see even a shred of aura within her.

"You already know what I am. What WE, are." Cinder replied slyly as she and the dragon cackled together. "I am just a new form, a new method, to return things to naught. To how things were meant to be." She gave them a small smile, as smaller, more bug-like, grimm started to reveal themselves from under her skin. She grinned as they retracted back into her, and her eyes began to glow again with fire.

Ruby was speechless. She couldn't even think of anything to say anymore. This went beyond reason, even for her, and even if she wasn't paralyzed by shock, her own aura was nearly diminished. She was too tired to lift even a finger.

"Well, I suppose that this is it, then" Cinder almost made a disappointed face. "But you have made it for far longer than I've expected." She started to slowly approach them.

"Now DIE." She raised her hand, and flames appeared all over, signaling the end of team RWBY. The flames flew in their direction, the heat easily reaching their skin, but at the last second, Ruby jumped forward.

"RUBY!" Weiss called, and a few seconds later, Ruby stood where the flames should have left a pile of ashes, eyes glowing white as the sun.

"No."

Cinder tried again, but this time, Ruby didn't even flinch, her eyes not even reverting. She blocked the fire with Crescent Rose, without leaving a single scratch on her.

"Hmm?" Cinder wondered. "How amusing, that now of all times you would unlock another facet of your nature." She summoned her swords and came at Ruby from the air. "However, it won't be enough!" This time, Blake's jumped in, a clone standing in Cinder's path while the real one stood next to Ruby, with Yang and Weiss getting up as well and standing united. Each was there for her own reason: To protect. To be accepted. To preserve. To simply have. Yet they all stood as one, letting their determination feed them power from places they didn't even know they had. This time, the dragon intervened, and switched up its breath into an inferno of death. Weiss reacted fast, and felt the coldness run through her very bones as she loaded the light blue crystal into Myrtenaster, letting her entire sword and armor be tainted blue. She blocked the breath with her blade, ice forming around her, creating a giant shield of frost until the dragon couldn't keep up, and stopped to replenish its breath. It let a few griffons mold into being from its upper neck, and they flew at the team, and Yang jumped at them, focusing her power into the Dust Celica. With one punch, to which she condensed plenty of energy, she obliterated all of them and returned to her comrades.

"We can't give up like that." Ruby turned to her team. "Even if we run out of aura, we can't give up. This is the one thing they teach us all the time: Legends, history, school, everyone. As long as there is hope within a single heart, humanity will live! Now come on! Let's show her that the people of Remnant won't cower ever again!" Her short speech inspired each of them, and the girls could feel their power returning, seemingly out of nowhere, as if the very ideal of hope was enough to keep them going. Cinder shot an arrow at her, but Weiss quickly intercepted the fiery blow, coming at Cinder herself will all she's got. Blake and Yang turned towards the dragon, Yang feeling Dust Celica filling up with strength, as the dragon bellowed and spawned grimm all around them. The small army of creatures charged, only to be decimated by Yang's sheer force and Blake's ability to fight them in much greater numbers. The tides were turning, and it seemed that Cinder was finally starting to weaken, her limits being reached.

"ARGHHHH" She shouted and focused her fire on herself, causing herself to practically explode., blowing all of them away. She couldn't believe those puny humans could actually fight back, after tiring themselves so much, but none of it mattered. She was going to kill every single one of them, and she was going to enjoy every single second of it.

* * *

So far, the battle has been going fine. Jaune and his team, along with Penny, managed to keep the grimm at bay from reaching the camp itself. They only had to wait until Ruby and her team took out the dragon, and the onslaught of grimm should have stopped, and they could rest easy. Another ursa came from behind him, and Jaune sensed the impending danger, his intuition sharpened by battling grimm so much time on their journey to Mistral. He quickly turned around, and sliced the ursa's throat with his sword, Crocea Mors, and the grimm fell to the floor, dead. They were young grimm, only being spawned a few minutes ago for them, so even he didn't have a hard time killing the bigger ones so far. Another one came to charge at him, but this one was smashed by Nora and Magnhild, the impact blowing its head apart.

"Thanks, Nora."

"Ehh, don't mention it, buddy." She quickly ran in another direction, spotting another one for her to squish like was a stress relief doll, shouting like crazy. _At least she's having fun..._ He thought to himself and prepared for more to come.

_BOOM!_

He heard a massive explosion from where RWBY should be, and something told him this wasn't Yang or Weiss who caused it. He also knew that whatever happened, he mustn't let them fall here. If they did, they were all as good as dead. His legs started to move on their own, as he started to run towards the group, only for Ren to appear in front of him, in a desperate attempt to stop from taking his own life.

"Jaune, you can't. I doubt any of us can even come close to matching that thing. We should let Ruby handle it."

"I must." Jaune felt himself filled with resolve. "If they fall, then none of it matters. But if I can help get that one, last speck of time to get ready and kill that thing, then that is what I'll do." And continued to run towards them, only to stop for a second to turn back to his friend.

"It's what Pyrrha would have done."

He ran on, only for Nora to spot him in the corner of her eye as he dashed towards the endless stream of blackness. Somewhere in her childish demeanor, she knew what he was going to do, and yet, for some reason, she couldn't bring herself to stop him. It was difficult when Pyrrha died, on all of them, but it was evident that Jaune took it the hardest. So much so that he would occasionally start mimicking her, here and there, in his behavior and movement around the battlefield. It was subtle, but she managed to spot it, perhaps before even others like Ren and Ruby did. The only thing Nora could do was wish him good luck and turn to face another beast, letting herself go in the rush of adrenaline.

* * *

It was almost over. Ruby was severely hurt, and Cinder was standing up above her, readying another blast. She was tired as well, but unlike the huntress, she was the one standing.

"Well, I guess this is it. Goodbye."

A flying shield came out of nowhere and hit her on the head, causing Cinder to stagger and fall back, giving Yang just enough time to grab Ruby and carry her away, so that she could treat her wounds as much as she could. After a minute, another human entered the battleground, this one with blonde hair, looking near the end of his strength. But for some reason, he did not stutter or even twitch at the immediate danger to his life. Jaune simply turned to Cinder, pointed his blade at her, and charged, grabbing his shield on the way from the ground. Cinder, obviously seeing how inferior he was to the others, simply raised her hand, willing the fires to incinerate this would be opponent. But something felt wrong. She could not conjure anything, and Jaune almost came upon her, his sword hacking and slashing wherever she stood. She tried to float away, and attack from above, but even this power was locked up, and all she could do was summon her swords to engage him in physical combat, parrying him and counterattacking.

"J-Jaune?!" Blake called, being pretty surprised by seeing him take on Cinder one on one. Ruby, having woken up as well, was quite astonished to see him as well, only to be relieved at the last minute save. Yang had to check into it though, so she peered at his aura, only to see what she thought was impossible: Jaune's aura was not even condensed to his own body, instead covering the entire area, seemingly blocking out any form of unnatural manipulation inside of it. Even her own sight was heavily impaired, only letting her see a glimpse of his enormous soul before it blocked her out.

"Ruby, are you okay?" She asked her sister.

"Yeah, I should be fine. But something feels amiss." She tried to conjure her silver eyes, but to no effect. This time, however, it wasn't a limitation brought by fatigue or something else of the sort. Something from the outside was preventing her from activating her power, rendering her completely dependent on her own physical prowess.

"What is that?" Weiss pondered out loud, seeing her armor vanished the instant Jaune arrived.

"I think that's his semblance" Yang said, and quickly got up. This was their chance, and Cinder was at her weakest. "Cinder can't use her maiden's powers! Let's attack, NOW!"

"Yeah!" Ruby called, and the four joined Jaune in his assault, surrounding Cinder and attacking her as well. Even the dust bullets lost all power, leaving each of them with only the most basic combat skills they have. Cinder did not intend to give up, however, and unleashed the best she had of all five of them, jumping around the battlefield and swinging her swords, aiming directly for Jaune. The dragon, so far sitting near, pointed his breath at the young boy, only to have it nullified as well, and it jumped in, clawing with its damaged limbs at whatever stood in their way. Jaune didn't mind any of that, and silently focused of his friend's murderer. He came at her again, raising his sword for an overhead strike, and she jumped behind, letting the dragon grab her and put her on top of its head, putting Cinder out of their reach. She directed the monster, this time; its claws became much more accurate, and the group was now forced to continue to dodge, last they get eaten alive. This was where Jaune had miscalculated: He managed to equalize the playing field by robbing everyone around him of any powers they could have used, but in doing so left himself completely exposed for a just physically stronger opponent, and the dragon was certainly stronger than him. A claw connected with his body, sending him flying away, until he hit a piece of rabble and lumped over, passed out and injured. Ruby could feel her connection to her eyes returning; Jaune's oppressing field turned off with the loss of his consciousness, and she looked towards Cinder to see she was back to full throttle again. This time though, Jaune managed to buy them enough time to recover a bit, and she could feel some of her aura flowing through her again. It wasn't much, but it could enough to finish this.

"CINDEEEER!" She called and jumped forward, preparing her scythe. The dragon came to claw her apart, but her silver eyes shone brightly, completely annihilating the grimm's arm, using the fleeting remains to jump even further, gunning for the grimm's throat. It jumped back in pain, only for Cinder to coerce it into keeping on fighting, her commands becoming wilder and angrier.

"What are you DOING?!" She yelled at it furiously. "KILL HER!" It went on, breathing it's miasma at her, and the fog completely dissipated the second they came close to the huntress. She got close to the dragon's neck, prepared her weapon, channeling as much power as she could into it, and swung. Crescent Rose hit the beast's scaly skin, and at first, it seemed that she won't be able to even fracture it. Nonetheless, she pushed on, her eyes only glowing brighter and brighter, light starting to drift away from them, until once again, she could only see white. In this calm void, she could let her soul guide her hands, and she redoubled her effort, pushing on even harder. She felt a smooth touch on her skin, only to see another's hand holding hers, assisting her to save all those she loved. She looked at this figure, to see a face she hasn't seen in years in front of her.

"M-Mom?..."

The ghostly image of Summer Rose did not speak back. She wasn't even sure it could, and yet, seeing her mother in her own mind felt so real to her. It looked back at her, and gave a faint smile, Ruby somehow knowing what she meant.

"Yeah." She smiled back. "Let's save everyone." They pushed on, and Ruby almost felt like she was torn apart, her own power overtaking her. Her mother stood by her side, shielding her, and the two pushed on with Crescent Rose with all their might.

And Ruby appeared on the other side, the dragon's head rendered asunder.

The others got back up and saw Ruby, shouting as hard as she could, chopping the grimm dragon's neck in two. It stood for a few more seconds, before collapsing and falling to the ground, its massive body slowly dispersing back into black ooze and ichor. Ruby landed on its corpse, somehow still conscious, and looked as Cinder next to its head, seemingly grieving for the loss. She didn't even say a word, and raised her hands, sending screeches followed by pillars of fire at her, and Ruby used her semblance to avoid them and get close, aiming for Cinder as well. Cinder didn't even flinch, and as Ruby spun Crescent Rose around and aimed for her head, she grabbed the blade head on with her bare hands, radiating pure heat. Before the scythe's blade could melt, Yang came to her aid, punching Cinder from her left, forcing her to get away. Ruby looked at her weapon's condition, and while the dust infused steel still held on, it was clear Cinder did a serious number on it, and she had no idea how much more could it take before falling apart. Honestly, Ruby could easily put it back together, if she had the time, that is. She would have to do with what she's got for now. Weiss ran up to her, wanting to make sure her Ruby was still okay.

"Don't worry Weiss. I ain't going down that easily." She gave her girlfriend a small grin, and the two, followed by Blake, went on to help Yang fight Cinder.

"Come on! The dragon is dead! We're so close!" Ruby tried to encourage her team, which also sent Cinder herself into a wrathful frenzy, lashing flames all around her. Yang tried her best to absorb the fires, but even with her right arm infused with red dust, she couldn't do much, and she decided it was time to fight fire with fire, letting her semblance ignite her as well. Her hair started to glow brightly with her eyes, and soon enough none of the others could even stand near any of them, both Yang and Cinder practically literally burning. She came at the soulless inferno with a punch, only to have her fist stopped midair by Cinder's pure malicious force, being so powerful her the flames radiating from her felt almost physical. It soon turned into a struggle of hand to hand combat, though mostly they threw single punches at each other, not having much strength to do otherwise, and the flames consuming every bit of energy they had. It seemed like the two would either kill each other and knock each other out, but suddenly, the flames stopped on both sides. Yang looked to the side, only to see Jaune, back on his feet and leaning on his blade, gazing fiercely as Cinder, who marched towards him, determined to finish the meddlesome human for good. Yang would have stopped her, but she was burnt out, her muscles screaming for rest. It took a toll not only on her aura, but on her physical body as well. Instead, Ruby ran against her, and prepared to take Cinder head on. She wanted to fight back, to protect her friend, but before she could, she felt him tug at her cloak.

"g-go..."

"No. I won't!" She called to him. She couldn't leave, not when Jaune was on the verge of death, and with Yang being unable to use her healing abilities in his semblance's field, there was no other way. Cinder didn't even try to summon her weapon this time, and simply turned to use her hands to get Ruby out of her way. Ruby tried her best to block Cinder, but Cinder knew where to attack, focusing her fists on Ruby's weapon, seeing as it was already almost shattered from earlier, and any further damage could break the blade, rendering Ruby unable to stop Cinder from killing Jaune. She pushed on, knowing her unnatural speed won't work for now, and continued to deliver swings and slashes with Crescent Rose at Cinder, only for her to move away each time. She came closer and closer to the young huntsman, until she had enough of Ruby, and quickly moved in between her attacks, giving her a punch in the face and pushing her back on the floor. She went up to Jaune, who only gave a defiant look, and prepared to shove her hand directly into his chest, and take his heart out. Jaune just stood there, not being able to move an inch, as her hand came close to pierce through his flesh.

And in the last second, Jaune smiled, and bit his own tongue, losing consciousness out of pain and disabling his semblance.

What happened next happened so fast, no one but Ruby even managed to comprehend what was going on: She saw his eyes getting closed, and before she knew it, she was already on her feet, weapon in hand, standing in Cinder's way. Her semblance returned to her, she had Cinder as closely to her as she could, and let her eyes power up, causing Cinder to be hit by her light directly. She stumbled back, Ruby's gambit succeeding, and fell to the ground. This was it. She couldn't take anymore; her strength completely drained from her by that last attack. Ruby walked to her, and prepared to do what had to be done, Cinder laying on her back and staring directly at her.

"Tell me. Before I do this." She raised her scythe, like a real angel of death.

"Do you believe in destiny?"

Cinder pondered at the irony in the question before replying with a shivered, weak grin.

"Yes."

Ruby lowered her weapon, and Cinder Fall was dead, slowly dissipating into black ashes.

* * *

They walked back, carrying Jaune, who was still unconscious with them, back to Glynda's camp, only to see that many survived the battle, with the rest of the grimm being dispatched by Penny and a somewhat bored Nora, though the moment she saw Jaune was being carried by Yang, she and Ren ran up to them to see if he was still alive. They checked his pulse, and while it was very faint and feeble, it was still there, and they brought him into one of the tents to rest, letting Ruby and her team have a much-needed sleep as well. As they walked through to the gate, Glynda and Qrow waited for them at the entrance.

"You did it, right?" Qrow asked eagerly.

Ruby just looked into his eyes, and he could see in hers the trauma of having to kill another. Even if Cinder wasn't really human, she looked and acted like one, and Ruby's mind was still scarred by what she had to do.

"There, there..." Glynda came to up her and gave her a warm hug. "I know how you feel. It's painful and horrifying. But for now, at least, you rest." She led them into one of the more secluded buildings, giving them some of the few actual beds she had to spare to sleep on, and took Jaune from them, to be healed.

Ruby dropped onto the bed offered to her, and Weiss snuggled close to her, both quickly falling asleep in each other's arms. In her mind, the same images repeated themselves: She, standing above Cinder, and massacring her. She knew it was inevitable that it would come to this, but some parts of her still rejected the simple truth of what just happened, instead doing what a traumatized mind does best, and began to repress the bad memories onto the back of her head. While experiencing the same moment over and over, another image made its way onto her dreamscape: Her mother, at the pivotal moment against the dragon, holding her hand. Ruby let everything else flow, and allowed the image of her mother to manifest before her, half transparent and glowing white.

"H-Hey, mom..." Ruby started to talk, not sure what was she even doing, having a conversation with a figment of her own imagination. "I-I just w-wanted to..." She stopped mid-sentence, as the tears began to drop on her cheeks. Her mother's afterimage simply floated close to her, and held her tight in the midst of her mental breakdown. Everything was happening so fast; Ruby had no real chance to grasp what was really going on, how many lives were at stake, and while she KNEW this things in her head, her heart only now started to catch up, and the guilt was heavier than she ever imagined. All the while, her mother pet her head, unable to talk, and just let her cry out the pain until it numbed, and her consciousness slipped away, the dream becoming a blur of black and white.

* * *

Weiss had her first vivid dream in years. It was so long since she saw the inner working of her brain, but nonetheless, there she stood: She was in front of the knight from her youth, as it pointed it's sword at her. She reached to Myrtenaster, but it was gone, leaving her bare handed against such a fearsome foe. It began to swing at her, and Weiss felt her feet becoming heavier and heavier, as it hacked away at her, getting closer with each swing. Just when it seemed that she was done for, and that he would kill her for good, she tried again to open her heart, listening to every smallest hush that happened to her, and while it wasn't completely opened, some progress had been made, and she could _feel_. Didn't even matter what it was, she could feel it. The knight, seeing her achievement, stopped at the last second, and kneeled in front of her, offering her it's sword. She took it, and felt even more strength than before flow through her, knowing that while the road to her emotion was not over yet, she was on the right path, and she was healing, one day at a time.

* * *

Blake stood in the middle of a meadow, with nothing around her. In front of her, pinned to the ground, were Wilt & Blush, signaling Adam's Grave. She saw it so clearly, she could have sworn it was real, if not for the carnage that just occurred a few hours earlier. Blake felt it, that this was happening in her own mind, and yet for some strange reason she could not snap out of it, being forced to look at the last remains of the man she killed, a trait now shared between her and Ruby. Now, she had time to think, about herself and about her life, and she let her thoughts come, one after another. She thought about her past, with Adam and the White Fang, about the days when she believed that they were doing all this for a noble and true cause, and how slowly he changed, becoming more violent and cruel, not just towards her, but to everyone around him. And yet, even through all this, she could not bring herself to hate him. The imaginary sun shone down upon her, Wilt & Blush reflecting the light, and Blake made a decision: She will forgive, not just Adam, but herself. She pulled the Sword and Sheath from the ground and held them close, letting her grief go at last.

* * *

To Yang, lucid dreams were common at this point. Ever since she put Dust Celica on, her mind expanded in new, different ways, and her dreams became another form of consciousness for her. While she did not have any control over her physical body, she could easily feel Blake, sleeping right next to her, and Ruby and Weiss, in the bed across the room. She let her earthly tethers weaken, and ascended to the skies of her mind, the familiar scope of Remnant and all of its auras forming before her. By now, she was quite accustomed to having control over her dreams, yet even then this was quite a rare occurrence for her to be able to view so much around her. She did not have any specific person to track in mind, so she just let herself enjoy the sight of the world's many flames burning together in one great unison. However, something did begin to bother her: While close to her, in Vale's area, the auras around her were burning hot and beautiful, in the other kingdom, things seemed a bit less than optimal. Mistral had its own suspicious feel to it, seemingly trying to hide something from her. Atlas, as if the land itself recognized who was looking, completely shut her out, only giving her the most basic massage of 'Everything is Fine!' that blatant propaganda would cause. And Vacuo, the only kingdom she did not get to see yet with her own physical eyes, had a depressing energy to it, as if the kingdom itself just gave up. Yang could do nothing but watch, so she did not try to move towards any of them at the moment, but even still, the world was beautiful. Everything in it felt so right and alive, and the thought that there are forces that would take it all away didn't even make her angry anymore, just sad. Yang continued to watch, promising herself that she would do whatever it takes to save all of this.

* * *

Qrow was sitting on the edge of the camp's walls, on guard duty. In the battle for their survival, more than a few of his students died to the grimm, and it was decided that the rest should at least be given the time to rest and come to terms with the loses. The night was long and cold, and while after the dragon's demise the grimm have mostly disappeared from Vale, things were not quite over yet. Unfortunately, no matter what you do, as long as there is fear, doubt and mistrust in the world, the creatures of grimm will continue to appear, killing and consuming. But now, they were given a second chance, a renewed kingdom, that will stand even higher than the last. At least, that's what HE thought. In the end, it would be a collaborative decision of him, Glynda, and the other adults in charge. After a few minutes, Ooblek came to replace him, his shift just starting, and sat next to the tired huntsman.

"So. It's over for now, huh?..." Qrow asked absent-mindedly.

"No. I'm afraid not." Ooblek returned. "History tends to repeat itself my friend, and you know what happens after something akin to an earthquake is over."

"There are aftershocks." Qrow rolled his eyes. "There are always fuckin' aftershocks..."

"Yes. I have no prediction as to when we will be able to truly rest, and that day will hopefully come soon."

"Hope, huh?..." Qrow looked into the distance and remembered the many times Yang and her sister would talk to them about staying hopeful. It seemed like such an alien concept, considering all that's happened, yet the more they thought about it, the more it became apparent that hope was the only thing keeping them all alive all this time.

"I guess we'll just have to stick to that hope and see, Oobleck..."

* * *

Meanwhile, at places unknown...

She stood in front of her altar, death and chaos reigning all around her. She did not have any need to feed of sustain her body, so all she could do is just look around, her own physicality being more of a bother to her than anything else. As she stood, a shadow emerged behind her, forming a tall, male figure clad in gray, heavy armor, face hidden beneath a metal helmet. It kneeled, and addressed her.

"Fall has been slain." It said with no hint of emotion. She didn't turn to face him, and only closed her eyes, thinking.

"Who?" She asked.

"Four." It replied. She figured as much. She knew HE would do this sort of thing, sending them in groups, or packs, at her. Perhaps as a ploy, or a final gambit.

"Who?" She asked again.

"One of the Silver Eyed Clan."

"Not surprising." It was inevitable that she would have to encounter another. After killing the last, with no immediate response, she began to think that they were all gone, but alas, the chain continued.

"One of the Forsaken."

"So they have reached such heights that they stand amongst their brethren? Amusing."

"One of the Ancients."

"Hmm..." She was quite skeptical of this statement. They were named the ancients for their disappearance over the course of time, and yet...

She closed her eyes and let the world draw itself before her, seeing the many sickening sparks she had to snuff in order to return to nothingness. And as it said, one of the insects shone slightly brighter, while not being like the ones in her memory, it was unmistakably similar.

"And the last?"

"One of the Children." It finished.

"A normal child? Standing with the silver eyes, the ancient and the forsaken?"

"An anomaly. Somehow no longer connected to almost all the threads of fate around her. She has disconnected herself from the world, thus gained power rivaling our own in form."

She closed her eyes again, and waited. After a short while, a small, black insect made its way towards her, entering her body. She moved one of her upper limbs close to her face, feeling a faint glimpse of power return to it. At her prime, none of the children of men could stand before her, and yet, they found a way to crack her might, shattering her to countless pieces. This was but a tiny glimpse, an afterthought, to her full image, but it will do for now. Her body moved awkwardly, even after centuries of inhabiting it. She hated having to take such hideous form, so many eons ago, but alas, it was the only way for herself to regain what was taken from her.

She called with her mind, and a crimson gate formed behind her, a masked figure appearing from within.

"You have heard what was said. Kill them."

The figure stood there for a few more seconds.

She turned, her eyes glowing red. "Do I need to reinstill obedience into you?" It was gone before she could even finish her sentence.

Salem turned back, and gazed and the madness of the world before her, knowing that soon things would return to the emptiness that she was born into.

ACT I: Ignition - Complete.


	24. Intermission 1: Winter's Plight

Winter landed the hovercraft and went towards Ironwood's office, knowing he probably had a lot of work planned out for her. Though, honestly, none of it mattered to her at the moment: After how Weiss reacted to even seeing her, she just had to confront her father about this. She knew he was very strict, and needed Weiss to become a proper CEO for the Schnee Dust Company as soon as she could, but seeing her emotionally dead like that made her furious. No sane father should ever subject any of his children to such horrible fate, and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

As she walked towards the door, wanting to ask Ironwood to take the rest of the day off, she heard him scream at his scroll.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S GONE?! WHERE THE HELL COULD ONE ROBOT LOOKING LIKE A FUCKING LITTLE GIRL POSSIBLY GO?!"

She was quite surprised Penny managed to fool him like that. Most likely, she sneaked her way to Vale with Weiss and her friends, and she was long gone by now, clearly out of the army's reach. After waiting for a few minutes for the general to calm down, she gave a small knock on his office's door.

"Come in." He cleared his throat, trying to sound as tranquil as possible.

"I have returned, sir." She stepped into his office, and sat before him, instead of taking her usual chair by his side.

"Is there something you want to talk about Winter?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Winter didn't usually acted like that, and he could tell there was something grave on her mind.

"I-... I wish to take the rest of the day off, sir." She lowered her head.

"And the reason I should allow this? I need you here, Winter, now more than ever. We have a lot of work ahead of us, and I can't have my second in command just dilly-dallying around."

"I assure you sir; it is quite a serious reason." She gave him a pleading look, and he could immediately tell what is it she was about to do. He sighed deeply.

"This is about your sister, isn't it?..." He really did understand where she was coming from, but letting her own emotions drive her was a slippery, and dangerous, slope. However, he preferred his soldiers focused and obedient, and locking his assistant there with him would only lead to her only getting more and more agitated, until she will snap. "... Very well. But I want to be clear that if I have to intervene, you will be punished accordingly to military law."

"Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!" She got up and gave him a bow, leaving the building with haste, preparing her own weapon for a possible skirmish. The skies were getting dark, and raindrops began to fall, signaling it was the time of day for the artificial rain to start. The winter season always had those, in order to at least simulate a natural occurring event, coming at semi-randomized time frames, letting the people of Atlas experience the rain as it would come in the rest if the world. Soon, the Schnee family mansion came into view, and she could see its magnificence from afar, seeing as it stood eleven floors high. As she approached the main gates, the sensors in the entrance recognized her in her car, and automatically opened them, leading up the mini parking lot, adorned with exotic fauna and marble statues that were the outside garden to the mansion itself. She parked her car, got outside, the rain not even slightly bothering her, and walked towards the huge gates, where a maid was already waiting to take her coat and lead her inside.

"Welcome home, mistress." The maid started, but Winter cut her off before she could continue.

"Where. Is. He?" Her voice was monotone, and cold.

"At his study, top floor." The maid quickly answered and left with her coat, taking it to the wash. The story about Weiss' battle with Mr. Schnee quickly passed through the entire staff maintaining the mansion, so when Winter asked her where her father was, the maid knew better than to try and stop her. In truth, while he WAS is the study, his new wound was still healing, and he could only barely open his left eye. The mood at the mansion was never a homey, pleasant one, but ever since Weiss left things have only turned even colder.

Winter went through the various floors of her past home, only to stop on the third floor, which was Weiss', before going to meet with her father. She toured the many rooms, only to see they were already under renovation, seemingly being converted into a guest floor. The sight only served to make her angrier. _Not only does he break her, but now he tries to cover her existence?!_ She couldn't take it anymore, leaving the floor as fast as she could, and took the elevator to the top, without even stopping on her own floor on the way. After a few more minutes on mind grinding silence, she reached the top, and entered her father's private quarters, only to see him sitting behind his desk, looking out at the view.

"Hello, Winter." he didn't even turn to see her, either from disinterest in her or from shame in his new scar.

"Why?" She cut straight to the chase, just as he taught her in her youth, back when he believed that SHE was the one to become his puppet heir. "Why did you do this to her?"

"I did nothing." He turned, and she could see his face, a deep cut going from the top of his left brow all the way to the side of his mouth. It was quite gruesome, the wound, though not bleeding at the moment, was still open in some areas, redness leaking through it. "She is a failure, and she has only herself to blame for her current state."

"YOU BROKE HER MIND, AND YET SHE'S THE ONE AT FAULT?!" She didn't even attempt to calm herself, letting her rage explode. "SHE'S JUST A CHILD!"

"SHE IS A FREAK!" He yelled back, his voice booming and commanding, causing Winter to settle down for the moment. "She has perverted the ancient family semblance, twisting it into an abomination, and then attempted to take my life. I was lucky to narrowly block her, only leaving me with this!" He pointed at his face. "Now, my good reputation will be tarnished thanks to her temper!" Now that he had no one to take the helm after he would be forced into retirement due to society's standards, the SDC would soon fall to ruin, seeing as no heir from the main family line means that any of his sibling's families will attempt to take control of the family business, rendering him completely powerless, as the inner struggle would tear the company apart. Even if did have time to sire a new child to take his place, their mother left him years ago, not being able to take his temper and ruthlessness anymore.

"She has no temper!" She retorted. "Can you not see what have you've to her? She's dead inside! Nothing left! I saw it in her eyes as I said my last goodbye to her. Whatever left from the Weiss I knew is gone. Killed by YOU." Her voice gradually becoming accusing and vindictive. "And as for your claims, I know you lie. She told us she beat, and then spared you, deliberately leaving you with that. If Weiss truly wanted you dead, she would have done so when she had the chance. It's not like you left her with any compassion towards the world around her."

Her father just stared at her, his one active eye unblinking. He reached his hand towards his desk, and Winter, sensing the inevitable, slowly moved her own hand towards the hilt of her sword.

"I will tolerate many things said in my office." He started. "But calling me a liar and insulting me are not amongst them. You may be my daughter, Winter," His voice became especially vicious when he mentioned her name. "But you are the same as her. An outcast. And I will NOT let you act as you please in MY house." He pressed a hidden button on his desk, opening a hatch and unleashing his own saber, Schäfer, from within it, quickly grabbing the sword with his left hand, as he lounged at Winter. She didn't even miss a beat, her military training kicking in, and drew her own sword, Gerechtigkeit, in an instant, parrying his blow. She knew it would come to this eventually, her father's pride being tarnished would be the last straw for him, and he would be forced by his own ego to silence her, perhaps for good. The office's parlor was quite vast and roomy, giving them both space to get away and conjure their summoning glyphs. The Schnees didn't fight amongst each other that often, but when they did, the fights were never about brute strength. If she were to overcome her father, Winter would have to rely on her summoning ability, saving her own physical prowess for when she needed, tiring her father out little by little. Of course, that's the exact thing he would try to do as well, so even with her advantage having general Ironwood himself teach her, she had to stay on her toes, knowing what her father's weapon was capable of, compared to Weiss'. Unlike her sister, Winter designed her weapon based on calculated mathematic for the perfect balance between blade size and dust output, maximizing her saber's efficiency as much as she could. Everything had to be exactly right, and she spared no expense making it as perfected as possible.

Winter and her father each quickly summoned their respective grimm replicas, he his ursa and she her beowulf, and the two groups clashed against each other, the humans directing the beasts mentally while trying to sneak in a bit more damage here and there. The ursa was tough and huge, but the beowulf was faster, avoiding its claws and biting and slashing whenever possible, until eventually, papa Schnee had to retract the summon, but not before exerting more power into it, boosting the ursa's stats enough to be able to match the beowulf and take it out as well, leaving the two Schnees to fend for themselves. From there, they went into single combat, papa Schnee barely affected by the lack of vision on his left eye. He moved quickly on the battlefield, forming various elemental strikes with his saber, as Winter had to keep her distance from her raging father. One hit was all he needed to break through her defenses, and she knew that well, only moving in when she was sure it would be safe. Finally, the opportunity came: Her father ran out of dust crystals, and he had to reload. Winter, however, did not intend on giving him the time to do so, and charged in, snapping Gerechtigkeit's secondary blade from within the main one, duel wielding them with deadly skill against her father. He, on the other hand, saw through her demeanor, and pulled Schäfer up to her, the two locked in a close quarters duel. She thrust the smaller blade at him, and while he leaned back in order to avoid the pointed edge, she came to swipe him off his feet, knocking the old man down on the floor, as she pointer Gerechtigkeit's edge against his throat.

"Now what? Are you going to finish the job your failure of a sister couldn't?" He gave a condescending stare, and she looked deep into his remaining eye. Ever since winter was a child, she always saw her father for what he was, mostly because he didn't attempt to hide his nature from her: He was cold, calculative, and incredibly ambitious. It was that ambition and desire that led him to the top of the company, even usurping her grandfather. Many assume that he inherited the company naturally, after his father passed away, but she knew the truth: He killed his own father, poisoning him no less, in order to gain more control. More power. Weiss, unlike her, never truly saw her father's true self, seeing as he would barely look at her, always busy training to tutoring Winter to become the heir he needed. Only after Winter managed to escape this horrible destiny, did her father start to show interest in his second daughter, looking at her as more of a plan B than anything else. It sickened Winter to her very soul to see he would treat other human beings like that. Even in the military, while the ordinary soldiers may not always be told what they were really fighting, they were at least given basic human rights!

"You never knew when to quit, huh?..." She said, slightly tired. "You just have to control, to possess everything around you. Even when I was just a single child, you always had the need to control me." She gave a long pause, and cleared her own thoughts.

"Can you at least admit that much?"

"I admit to nothing." He said, his hubris clearly getting the better of him. It was clear that she could not make him change his ways, and the only way for her to make him stop hurting everyone around him was with a cold, swift death. "Come on; I haven't got all day!" He pushed her.

Winter just stood there, an infinity going through her mind. She was stuck in place, the many voices in her head telling her to both kill and spare him. In the end, however, she just couldn't do it, and pulled away, jumping back before her father had the chance to exploit her generosity and surprise her with a preemptive strike while she was distracted by her own thoughts.

"Then I guess this is it? In the end, you got what you always wanted, father: An entire empire to control on your own. Goodbye." She turned around and preceded to leave the room, now half destroyed by their previous battle.

"You are NOT going anywhere!" She heard her father call from behind, and turned around to see he already loaded Schäfer with plenty of dust, as he charged at her again. This time, however, they were both almost out of aura, so if she wanted to win, she would have to finish this as quickly as possible. Winter waited for her father to get close, but before she could attack him, he loaded a green crystal into Schäfer, sending an electrical pulse at her. Winter tried to dodge, but the lightning bolt was too fast for her, and she got hit directly, paralyzing her in place. She struggled to move while her father got close and kicked her in the stomach, sending her to the floor. He came close, and leaned on top of her.

"You see? Even when you had the chance, you just couldn't do it. You're a failure." He turned and walked away, not wanting to stain his own blade with the blood of his kin, seeing her as so inferior she doesn't even deserve a swift death.

"Just like your sister."

Something within Winter snapped. She struggled up, using her sword to balance herself, and slowly shifted the weight to the wall behind her, as she raised her weapon against him in an act of defiance. This wasn't just about getting a confession out of him, as she told herself in the beginning. This was about herself, and Weiss, and the years of mental abuse they had to endure under him. Hell, for most of the time their mother wasn't even there to support them, even before she left, letting servants take care of her own daughters most of the time. In the end, this was the very reason Winter even joined the army: She tried living in freedom, mostly in her academy days, but for the life of her, she just couldn't do it. She needed a system, a frame to guide her life, in order to feel secure and fulfilled. And the years of denial, when she told herself she could leave and retire, and finally have her own fate in her own two hands, became a distant memory, fleeting in front of the overwhelming truth.

Even after all these years, she was still her father's puppet.

He turned, only to see her last stand, revelation gleaming in her eyes. He didn't say anything, and only pointed the tip of his sword at her, and walked forward. "Come now. Fight. You clearly think you can still take me on."

Winter tried her best, but she just couldn't move anymore. Her aura was depleted, and she only watch as her own father stood right in front if her, and pushed Schäfer into her shoulder.

Winter screamed in pain. She barely remembered what it was like to get stabbed with no aura to protect the body and heal the wound, and the physical trauma added to the paralysis from earlier was too much for her body to handle, and she collapsed on the floor, unconscious. Papa Schnee pulled back his sword, took a napkin to clean Winter's blood off the blade, and called one of his servants, who showed up a few seconds later, unfazed by the destruction of his boss' office.

"The moment she wakes up, kick her out." His voice was stern and decisive.

"Of course master." The servant dragged the blacked out body of Winter Schnee out to one of the lower floors, and gave her a small bed to rest in until her consciousness returned to her.

* * *

After a few short hours of sleep, Winter abruptly woke up, only to find herself in one of the servant's quarters, and not a minute passed until one of the maids came to greet her.

"W-What happened?" She asked the maid.

"You were beaten. Quite severely. Your father has shown you this one kindness by sparing you, but he wished to inform you he would not show you this mercy again." She helped Winter get back up on her feet. "He also wanted me to tell you that henceforth, you and Weiss are officially disowned from the Schnee family, and are hereby banned from any and all Schnee family compounds on Remnant." She stopped for a minute, only to see if Winter was still listening. "I will now show you to the exit."

They walked in silence, Winter only thinking how would she report this to the general. True, he gave her the day off, but ever since the attack on Vale, even vacations were monitored and documented, making sure no traitor could hide amidst them. She left the building, and with the sunrise on the horizon, got back into her car and drove off, leaving to Ironwood's office.

* * *

"Ah, Winter, you've returned." James looked at her as she entered through the doorway, only to see her shoulder covered with bandages, still red from her own blood.

"I see that your business went out of control." He sounded disappointed. "What happened?"

Winter gave him a quick summary of their conversation, followed by the short duel, leading to her defeat at the hands of her father. After hearing about all the events that transpired last night, the general sat in his chair, resting his head in his fingers, thinking.

"At least you are still alive." He paused to think. "However, seeing as you attacked an important ally of the atlisian military, I might have to take certain repercussions in order to clear any inconvenience that could arise from such actions." His voice wasn't angry, but Winter knew that she would have to be punished for her outburst. Even though her father attacked first, pointing the blame of him would only cause chaos and disarray, and for the sake of a more peaceful Atlas and for the continuation of the cooperation between the atlisian army and the SDC, she would have to take the bullet, and accept any punishment that her father would place on her through the general.

"I understand sir." She nodded, and left for her private room, to get a proper rest. She got to her small dorm, no more fancy than any other soldier having to live within atlisian dormitories, and laid down on her bed, letting herself go to the confines of sleep. Her father may have won the duel, but he has lost the war.

He was alone now, and when he falls, no one else would be there to help him back up.


	25. Intermission 2: Yang The Teacher

Yang woke up early in her room in Vale, as usual, to begin her morning jog, followed by a meditation session. Next to her, still asleep, was Blake, purring in absolute tranquility as she cuddled close to her girlfriend. Now that the dragon was slain and Cinder Fall gone, they could rest, and heal the wounds from the small war that almost took their lives. It's been at least two weeks since then, and so far, they've been trying to live a bit of a simpler life, just letting things go and relaxing. Yang slowly pulled away from Blake grasp, and put a pillow in her place, not wanting to wake her girlfriend up as she left, and went outside, taking in the view. Even though it was still the same old camp in front of her, she saw things differently than the rest of her humans and faunus in the camp, even amongst the rest of her team: She saw auras, and shortly after the fight with the dragon, Yang started to notice her aura sight started to bleed into her regular one, the two intertwining and forming a more complete picture in her head. As she ran across the camp, passing many of the teenagers already up for some well-needed exercise as well, she not only saw their bodies, but their auras as well, at the same time. It became a vibrant flow of color, seeing the many sparks of life dance and play with each other, melding and parting, and the whole thing looked even more beautiful with each passing moment. She ran, letting the fresh air hit her face, and the beads of sweat form on her face, until after a short hour she reached her favorite place in the camp so far: The ruined buildings created a pathway to the top on the hall where Glynda's office resided, and with a little bit of jumping here and there, she could easily reach the top, putting the entire camp in her line of sight. Yang stopped for a brief moment to enjoy the view, and sat down, closing her eyes, and letting herself go, merely enjoying the simple act of being alive at that present moment. As she did, like usual, her own aura came into view, expanded by her tranquility like a flame. Yang felt the flow of time seemingly stop, letting herself be fully surrounded by her own soul, and for now, it was good. Of course, even within the near infinite spectrum of colors presenting themselves directly into her mind, tiny patches of blackness still remained. Through they were diminished in numbers, the grimm were never truly gone, going back to relatively the same numbers as her days in Beacon, and since the situation became manageable enough for Qrow and his huntsmen trainees to handle on their own, Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang were allowed to do as they please, at least for now. After what felt like an eternity of bliss, Yang finally anchored herself down to reality, seeing as she was still needed in the physical world as well. As she opened up her eyes, Blake came up to her, just arriving at her side.

"Morning, kitty cat." She gave the cat faunus a pleasant smile. "Good to see you awake."

"Good morning, Yang." Blake sat beside her, and let her head fall on Yang's shoulder, instinctively starting to purr again. Yang gave her a small chuckle, which caused Blake to flush red a bit.

"Well, anyway," She tried to change the subject. "I came to call you. Glynda asked me to bring you to her. She said it was about dust forging." Yang had a feeling someone was going to ask her about that. As far as Yang saw it, dust was a very malleable resource, and by using her aura as a catalyst, she learned how to reshape it into various forms and objects. Her very first creation, which was also the one that put her on the path she walked now, was her right arm, the Dust Celica. After that, she also began to forge bullets out of crystal, seeing as her team's weapons still required those, and since bullets were a scarce resource in the current Vale, she was mostly in charge of forging dust rounds for her team to use. Though the thought of teaching them the art was something she intended to do for a while now, especially Weiss, with her oddly specific requests for crystal shapes for Myrtenaster. Yang and Blake got up, and jumped down to the hall itself, going in the entering Glynda's office. In there, she saw Qrow and Ooblek, who were at this point Glynda's seconds in command, sitting in the corner of the room.

"Good morning Yang. Glad you could join us."

"No problem Glyn. So, what did you need with my forging ability?"

"Nothing much, and I'd prefer you still call me by my full name." Glynda sounded slightly annoyed. " You may not have been to my class for quite some time, miss Xiao Long, but you are still my student, to every extent."

"Okay, Miss Glynda Goodwitch" Yang made sure to induce some cynicism to her voice. "Sheesh."

"Well, in any event, here's what I wanted to ask." Glynda pulled a small, orange crystal from beneath her desk. "Can you forge this into something else?"

Yang gave her a pretty funny look, but went and took the crystal in her right hand. "Umm, okay?..." She pressed on the dust crystal, slowly grinding it to pure dust in the table. As far as forging went, she was able to differentiate between foreign dust and the dust that made up her right arm by the mere fact that her aura flowed through the Dust Celica. She scooped a portion of the dust in her hand, and closed it tightly, focusing her aura into the free particles floating inside her hand, forcing them to stick together into a certain shape. Once she was finished, Yang opened her hand, forming a small perfect disk in her hand, and placed in on the table in front of Glynda, who picked up the new crystal shape and examined it for a short while, before putting it back.

"And you claim that everyone can technically do this, right?"

"Yeah. It's was quite tough for me to learn the technique on my own, but by now it's like flexing another muscle. I'm pretty sure that with enough time anyone could do this."

"Then will you teach them?" Glynda cut straight to the chase.

"...Huh?"

"I want you to teach the other trainees, as well as ourselves, how to forge our own ammunition from raw dust materials. Will you do it, Yang?"

Yang stared at her for a short while, not sure if she was joking or not. "You serious?"

"Quite." Qrow entered the conversation. "Seeing as getting electricity back on for the entirely of Vale is going to take us some time, and even when we do, the chances Atlas will cooperate with us when it comes to direct dust shipments now seeing as she basically kidnapped their little war machine AND the ex-daughter of the head of the SDC is staying right here with us are less than zero, we think it would be best if the new generation of huntsmen and huntresses in Vale will learn how to manipulate dust for themselves, making them more independent on the field. And so far, you're the only expert we've got on the subject."

"But I've never taught anyone anything! You all know me," She turned to Glynda. "and knowing what you know, would you SERIOUSLY put me in charge to a class of undertrained teenagers?"

"We knew who you WERE, Yang." Ooblek stepped in as well. "But as far as I'm concerned, you changed by quite a large margin, mostly because for all your personal faults, you still managed to learn and evolve." He held her right arm. "And THIS is the proof. You did the one thing I always advocate to every student that passed through my classes, and looked into the past, to find a solution for the future. Even further, you've managed to apply this ancient wisdom of the old in new and creative ways, reopening doors locked by human civilization for centuries, and while still don't know if there are any long term repercussions for this, we don't have the leisure to study them right away. And seeing how far you've come, I now believe you are ready to pass that knowledge along as well."

"I don't know..." Yang had an unusual streak of self-doubt. To her, all the knowledge she obtained seemed kind of obvious at that point, but it was in motions and feelings, not in words. She had no idea if she could even convey any of that for others who haven't had the same experiences as her. But in the end, she realized something: What she had was a gift, a godsend, and in order to preserve this magnificence, this beauty, she would need others to see what she sees, so they could help her protect the world and all its mysteries.

"F-Fine. I'll do it." She decided, and the Glynda approached and gave her a pat on the back.

"Well done, Yang. I'm sure you'll do great."

* * *

And there she stood, the day after, a bunch of prepubescent teenagers, the other adults, and her own team, sitting before her on a small hill outside, waiting for her to begin her lesson. The summer sun shone above them, and Yang told Glynda that in order for her to be able to give a proper lesson, she would need a more open environment than a closed room or a courtyard on cement and stone. She thought deeply about what to say, or how to demonstrate, but something still managed to stumble her, and for some reason Yang had a strange case of crowd fright. Blake, seeing the obvious distress her lover was in, simply approached and whispered in her ear.

"It's okay Yang. I'm here with you. You're gonna do great."

Blake encouragement doing wonders, Yang decided to try something else in order to block out the stress. Without closing her eyes, she let the physical world wash away, replacing it with the many auras and souls that stood before her. Before long, the children and the adults, her team and even the stray animals roaming around all seemed the same in her eyes. Now, she wasn't afraid anymore. After all, they are all like her. They all know the truth already, and they just need a small nudge in the right direction. A wide smile began to form upon her face, as she closed her eyes and let the breeze go over her.

"This is just such a beautiful day, isn't it?" She began with a simple question.

"You look around, and on our everyday lives all you see is such a tiny glimpse of the whole picture: When we go through our daily routine, when we eat or train, when we talk and laugh and love." Her gaze unconsciously turned to Blake. "We only see just a tiny fraction of the entire world. The way I see it, dust forging and auras, and even semblances, are all one and the same. In order for you to learn how to control dust and reshape it, you must first learn how to stop looking at only one piece at a time, and behold yourselves in your entirety, eventually learning to control yourselves and your aura." She took a single crystal from a pile laid before her, and held it in her left hand for the mass of auras she saw to view. "Now, first question: What ARE these crystals."

The people looked a bit confused for a small moment, before one of them raised his voice. "Umm... Dust?"

She could understand the confusion in his voice. If she were in his position, of course, she wouldn't understand right away. "Yes, but not in the way you mean it." She closed her hand, letting the crystal crumble in her hand. When she opened it, they saw the simple pile of regular dust formed in her hand, some of it flying off in the wind. "What I meant is what was that, in the most literal sense, which is, in fact, just dust. Fragments of a whole separated by an arbitrary boundary. Now," She continued, and closed her palm again, this time letting her aura pulse and vibrate, slowly letting the dust reform, before revealing the completed crystal again to her class. "As you can see, this process requires no calculations. No analysis. Just the purest control over one's aura, and the understanding that when you forge dust, you not only affect it, it affects you the same way, moving your aura around and making it flow through your body and around you. The secret is knowing how to make yourself immovable, so that the dust will be forced to move instead, condensing it into a different shape." She put the reforged crystal back with the others. "Now, for starters, each of you close your eyes, and try to feel your aura as much as you can. In order to teach you dust forging, first you must show basic understanding of your aura's movements, so for the first couple of weeks, that's what we'll do." She waited for a few minutes for each of them to do so, while pulling her legs into a lotus position and closing her eyes, giving her more accuracy in her observation of how they were doing. Some managed it without much trouble, while other took a while longer to be able to feel their own soul made manifest move. Although, amongst all of them, one soul stuck to her in particular amongst them: Weiss'. Compared to her, even Penny's aura managed to flicker with color and life, and while her aura had a few more strands of emotion attached to them since the last time she saw it, Weiss' aura was still mostly devoid. Empty. She toned her sight back to a combined view, to see Weiss' actual body and how she was doing, and to her surprise, Weiss was doing much better than everyone else: While even Blake and Ruby, who had been with her through hell as well examined much better awareness of their aura then most of the other students, took a little bit of time to behold themselves, with Ruby a tougher time than she expected. Weiss, on the other hand, managed that in mere seconds, seemingly reaching a tranquil state faster than anyone else, including Yang. However, something felt strange about the way Weiss' aura moved: It was mostly stable, barely moving to flickering, and it took Yang several minutes to understand why: Weiss wasn't just looking at her aura, she was FORCING in to stay in place. Unlike Yang, though, the aura felt restrained by Weiss' will, rather than follow it regularly.

"Umm, Weiss? Everything alright?" Yang asked without thinking. It was strange to her, how would one do such a thing to themselves.

"Yes. Why?" Weiss tone was clear and direct. She did exactly as Yang instructed, so why would she inquire about her well being now? If anything, Yang should check on the others to make sure they are doing what was required as well, to finally move this lesson along.

"Oh." Yang wasn't quite sure what to say to her. If she just made a bold statement about her aura in front of everyone, no one would understand why, and it would only cause confusion all around. She had to avoid mentioning it for now and watch. She will ask Weiss about it later, when everyone else had left. "O-Okay then..."

Eventually, Yang decided it was enough for one day, and while most of the students didn't get it yet, the other teachers and a select few of apparently talented people had gotten the basic gist of it. Yang sat down, and summarized her very first lesson. "For now, the best thing you can do is just get as adept as you can at feeling your own aura. Shaping dust my come to intuitively, or not. The only thing standing in your path is yourselves." She got up and stretched. About two hours had already passed, and she believed it would be enough for that day. "Well, this should do for now. Until our nest lesson, each of you should take some time to familiarize with how your aura moves as much as you can. Talk to people, listen to nature, read a book. Every action we take affects us in some way or another, and each of us moves differently." They started to leave, only her team staying behind to help her pick up the dust crystals and put them away until next time. "Oh, by the way, Weiss, Could you stay for a minute? I need to ask you something."

"Okay." Weiss walked next to her and Ruby and Blake went outside, leaving the two huntresses to talk.

"So, about why I wanted to know if you were okay..."

"Thought as much." Weiss retorted.

"You see, my aura vision ability allows me to see each aura, in both movement and color. And ever since the two of us reunited, I've noticed that your aura is, for the most part, blank. Transparent."

"And..." Weiss' voice quickly became almost frozen. Yang saw the fleeting colors almost vanish from her soul, and Yang immediately tried to switch subjects in order to calm her down.

"While that's not the reason I asked, something else bothered me: When I asked everyone how to focus on their aura, you got there first, Weiss, and fast. It even took me quite a while to get a basic grasp on it." If Weiss had any vanity left, she would probably utter some smug comment about her being a Schnee or something. "And I just had to take a look to see if you were really that fast. And from what I saw, you were not feeling your aura. You were restricting it. Hindering its movements."

"So? Isn't that what we are supposed to achieve, in order to forge dust, according to you?"

"I know what I said, but this isn't like that. Your aura is a living part of you, Weiss, yet it seemed to me that you are treating it as some tool. You can't do that."

"Any why not, exactly?" Weiss questioned. "As you've said, auras are a part of us. Is it not within my right to treat it as however I see fit then?" Weiss' logic was cold and objective. Yang had no answer.

"It's just wrong!" She had no true way to express her feelings on the subject. For her, this was so obvious, so natural, that defying it felt like she was Deliberately closing her eyes to the truth. "This is a living part of you, Weiss. If you lock it behind mental barriers, it will only be harder for you down the road."

"Perhaps, but this is the road I choose." she was overly decisive. "I will reclaim myself and my heart, in my own ways, Yang. This path is mine and mine to take alone, and I will not let even you interrupt it." Weiss headed out, wanting to look for Ruby. "And I will not hesitate to cut down anything that stands in my way." Weiss' voice, as well as her aura, held not a trace to hatred or spite towards Yang. Her words were simply are, not bound to any emotional reaction, so Yang couldn't bring herself to feel angry at Weiss for what she said. It brought her sadness to see her friend doing that to herself, but in the end, she knew how much Weiss means to her sister now, so she had to not interfere. It was painful, but she will just have to accept the fact that not everyone sees the same wonderful things she can see, and feel them the same way. For now, the only thing she could do was keep an eye on Weiss, at least to make sure she doesn't hurt herself.

* * *

Over the next few days, Yang's forging class began one of the most popular classes amongst the students, though mostly because she wouldn't go with the usual route of blackboards and homework, instead letting each of them organically develop their own awareness to their aura. To her surprise, Ruby had some troubles at first, due to her aura strange connection her eyes, being constantly channeled there, even if no actual force is exerted.

"Yang, I just don't know what to do..." Ruby was becoming a little discouraged seeing as her attempts to get a feel for her aura were just not working.

"It's okay Rubes." Yang held her hand, and she felt Weiss' glare almost literally stab her back. "Your aura is just a little different than everyone else's." She gave some though into what advice to give her. "Hmm... Here's what I think you should do: When you try and focus, try and pay special attention to your eyes. From what I can see, most of your aura naturally flows there anyway, so if you looked hard enough in that area, you're bound to feel _something._ "

"But what if I activate my silver eyes my mistake? I wouldn't want to hurt anyone..." Ruby's voice became tainted with guilt, and Yang saw it coming. Even though she saved everyone, even though Cinder was a grimm, she still held a human form, and Ruby still killed her. She had that same look Blake had after the battle with Adam, so Yang already had a grasp on how to handle it. She pulled Ruby close, and held her tight.

"It's okay. You have Weiss, right? And also me and Blake, Glynda and Qrow and dad. All of us are here to support you as much as we can, Ruby. Now, try again. I'm sure you can do it."

Ruby began to tear up a bit before cleaning her tears and closing her eyes. In her mind, she focused on her eyes, and felt her aura gather there, her retinas somehow becoming a nexus anchoring her entire soul, like her heart did with her blood. She felt the whiteness encompass her, but unlike before, this whiteness felt soothing and complete. She decided to try and personify her aura, thinking perhaps seeing it on the outside would help her understand it, and the ghostly image of her mother slowly formed before her.

"Hey mom..." She wanted to start a conversation, but had no idea where to begin. This wasn't her real mother, rather only a mirage generated by her mind to visualize her own aura, and thus, it was rather awkward trying to talk to her. "I-I... Man is this weird..." She quickly gave up on trying to say anything, only staring at her mother's smile. "Well, let's see now..."

Ruby moved her right hand, and Summer's image lifted hers as well. Ruby, entranced by this new experience, didn't even notice that on the outside, her eyes began to glow faint white beneath her eyelids, her aura's movement slowing down and becoming more relaxed. Gradually, Ruby tried to move more ecstatically, only to see her mother remaining calm and while do moving, her movements were slower, gentler, and more precise. Eventually, Ruby started to instead try and mimic her mother, becoming one with her own aura's whims, and after a few minutes of playfully dancing in her mind, she opened her eyes, the glow settling down, to see Yang giving her an approving look.

"I don't know what you did in there Rubes, but as I looked your aura what flickering quite beautifully. I think you may be able to do more than just dust forging if you practice more."

"Thanks, Yang." Ruby felt happy with herself, and ran over to Weiss to tell her of her achievement.

"That's great Ruby." Weiss said in the most pleased tone she could, still having to mimic this feeling around other people. It was hard, very hard to bring it out naturally, but nonetheless Weiss tried her best, and Ruby knew this. She took her by the hand and went outside, to try and find something else that would help her partner experience another glimpse, which managed to touch Weiss' frozen heart quite deeply. Ruby cared about her so much, and each time Weiss managed to produce genuine emotion it just made Ruby's day. Yang watched quietly as her sister and her girlfriend went outside, and took one last look, only to see Weiss' aura reacting, even slightly, to Ruby's affection.

 _Perhaps she could help her where I can't, huh?..._ Yang thought to herself and went to prepare for tomorrow's lesson.


	26. Intermission 3: When We Are All Equal

Jaune and Ren stood at the center of the training courtyard, preparing to engage in a spar. After he woke up from the fight with Cinder, Jaune didn't have much memory of the events that took place, so when Yang told him what his aura did, and that it was probably his semblance, Jaune wanted to learn as much about it as he could. He readied Crocea Mors, while Ren waited for him to try and activate his semblance.

"Are you ready Jaune?" Ren asked with slight impatience.

"Yeah." Jaune closed his eyes and concentrated. So far, he found that emotional shock was the best catalyst to activating his semblance, and so, he envisioned that instead of Ren, he stood before Cinder. Slowly, he could feel his aura expanding, until finally, it covered the entire field. Though he was still new to this, Yang's lessons helped him improve his sensitivity to aura greatly, which allowed him to better manifest his newfound ability. And a few seconds Ren gave him the signal that indeed his own semblance was locked away, having no way to call upon it.

"Ready!"

He ran towards Ren, sword in hand, and the quickly started to trade blows. Under Jaune's semblance, nothing could manipulate the battlefield. Semblances, auras, other special powers, even dust was greatly inhibited in function. The only thing they had left was their own physical prowess, and their own combat skills, and while Jaune might not be the strongest, many of his opponents did rely on those things in order to fight, putting them all on an even playing field. All Jaune had to do now was master his semblance and become physically adept enough in order to be able to put on a good fight, and his value on the battlefield would grow considerably. Ren jumped above him and aimed to slash him with StormFlower's blades, but Jaune rolled to the side, getting back on his feet and spinning his blade back at Ren. Meanwhile, Nora and Penny, who at this point became quite acquainted with team JNR, sat on the sidelines and watched the two duke it out.

"Go Ren! Kick his ass!" Nora shouted with overflowing enthusiasm, and Penny, not wanting Jaune to feel left out, called out to him as well.

"You can do it Jaune! Give it your best!"

The two huntsmen didn't really pay attention, however, and were more focused on each other's movements. Ever since they started training, Ren found out that Jaune's semblance required much greater focus from him, seeing as his aura was locked. Jaune was actually pretty agile, his sword seemingly having little to no weight in his hand, and the slices came relentlessly from many different angles, putting Ren mostly on the defensive. It didn't help much his stamina wasn't that great too, and Jaune's training with Pyrrha during their schooldays was finally starting to show. As the two sparred, a bored Ruby walked next to Nora and Penny, Weiss as usual staying close to her. At this point, everyone pretty much figured that Weiss was NOT going to let go of Ruby, and decided that they might as well stay out of her way when it came to her girlfirend, who seemed kind of okay with the fact that her alone time was cut almost completely.

"Hey guys. What're you all doing?"

"Ren and Jaune are fighting." Penny answered her. "But I really do hope no one get too hurt... Jaune's semblance can be pretty tough to beat."

Ruby shrugged. "Well, he saved our lives with it, Penny. We should help him as much as possible to help develop it, you know? Speaking of which..." An idea passed through her head. "Hey Ren! Once you're done with him I'm next!"

"You got it!" Jaune took a brief moment to answer her. It was a tough fight, but in the end Jaune's raw ability with his sword and shield helped him overcome Ren's fast movements and tactical mind, knocking Ren to the floor and giving him the victory. He helped his team member getting up, and the two bowed for each other, ending the match. They walked back to the seats, and joined the others.

"Wow, Jaune. Not half bad." Ruby congratulated him for his victory. He improved much in the time they traveled to Mistral, and now he could finally show it.

"Thanks Ruby. Give me a few minutes to rest and I'll be happy to take you on."

"That was a great match Jaune. It seems you control over aura has improved by a lot." Penny added. "Though I am not sure how it would affect me..." There was a slight tone of worry in her voice. True, Penny wasn't human, so her mechanical parts would be mostly unaffected. However, what she DOES have inside her is a dust battery. A dust battery that could very well be shut off if she gets into Jaune's range, which would cause her to malfunction and shut down, requiring Nora to power her up again.

"Don't worry about it Penny. I'll make sure to be careful around you, okay?" Jaune tried to calm her down, Penny giving him a wide smile in response, as the group started to talk about whatever, just burning a little bit of time. Weiss, while not actively joining the conversation, just sat close to Ruby, and after a few more minutes, Jaune finally got up, stretched, and jumped down back to the courtyard.

"Well Ruby. You ready?" She went down as well, as she pulled Crescent Rose from her back and shifted it to its scythe form.

"Okay." She felt the enthusiasm build up inside her. "Let's do this!"

Jaune let his aura expand, activating his semblance, and Ruby once again felt the power of the silver eyes almost vanishing completely, being out of her reach for now. She didn't let this hinder her, however, and started to run against Jaune, preparing Crescent Rose for a slice. However, without her greater speed, Jaune was able to easily see through her, and simply sidestepped away. Ruby thought quickly, sticking her scythe in the ground and using the momentum she did have to swing back, delivering a kick to Jaune's back, pushing him away. He got up and ran at Ruby, sword slicing and dicing in her direction, while she dodged each attack, until eventually retaliating with Crescent Rose with a jump attack from the side. Jaune barely had any time to react, and right in the last second he managed to block her scythe, though it did cut him a little, drawing a quite a load blood. This was one his semblance's greater strengths, yet also one of its greatest weaknesses: Since aura was almost completely suppressed, its natural healing factor barely had any space to tend to the body's wound, but since his own aura was currently used in its entirety to maintain the suppression field, the same principles applied to him, making both him and his opponents susceptible to the simplest of cuts or blows to the body. With his concentration broken from the pain, his aura retracted, and with his semblance turned off he could start healing himself, though he would have to cut that match short. Ruby, seeing the wound and only then realizing his aura couldn't heal him, ran up to Jaune in a panic.

"Oh god Jaune I'm so sorry! I didn't know..."

"It's okay Ruby. Really." He staggered to stand, and Ruby helped with supporting his body as they walked back, and Jaune sat down, holding his abdomen. "I should go to the infirmary. Nora, Ren, mind giving me a hand?"

The two helped him up and went off to get some bandages to cover the injury, Penny following them looking slightly curious about the human body, seeing as she's never actually seen a serious injury like that before.

"I hope he'll be okay, though..." Ruby said to Weiss, her face still unmoving.

"I'm sure he will be fine, Ruby." Weiss words were absolute and interchangeable. There was no place for actual concern in them, only being said in order to generate a sense of relief in Ruby. Inside, however, Weiss was feeling something: Jealousy. She didn't even know how or why, but seeing Ruby show caring for another person made her think that she cares less about her, so she needed to make her move on with it as soon as possible, so that she could go back to focusing in her.

"Oh, Weiss..." Ruby was already kind on familiar with Weiss' new, 'quirks', when it came to interaction with other people, so hearing Weiss talk in that tone about Jaune didn't really surprise her. She pulled Weiss close and gave a small kiss followed by a tight hug. "You know I still care deeply about you, so please try to show a little compassion to others as well, okay?"

Weiss gave a deep sigh, letting Ruby's embrace fill her with that faint, warm feeling of love for her. They stood there on those stairs for a few minutes, until Ruby finally broke the hug and they trailed off, looking for something else to do.

* * *

"So, is he going to be okay?" Nora asked the nurse tending to the sick and wounded in the infirmary with exaggerated dread. "Wait, did he bleed out? Did you have to amputate?!" Nora made her quick assumptions about the matter, and gave a loud gasp. "What have to done to his legs?!"

"Nora!" Ren gave her a small bonk on the head, letting the nurse finally talk back to the two.

"He'll be just fine, though I have to wonder how did he even get that injury. Unless he just spontaneously ran out of aura in an instant, it would have protected him from whatever hit him."

"Oh, that was his semblance." Penny spouted out of nowhere. "It can lock out the effects of auras, dust and other semblances."

The nurses face turned to Penny as her eyes widened. "But I was told it was just a sparring accident. How does a semblance like that even work?" She had a hard time believing what the robot girl just told her. On the other hand, Penny had already introduced herself to everyone, and they knew she generally doesn't lie about stuff, so if she says that... "I have to go for a minute, sorry for leaving you here." She quickly went inside the makeshift ward headed towards Jaune, while Ren and Penny had to hold Nora from bursting behind her.

"GIVE US BACK HIS LEGS!..." Nora's voice went further and further as the nurse went inside the hall, opening Jaune's room and standing before him, with a stern look.

"Is something wrong?" He was not sure what had made her like that.

"Let's just say; you've got some explaining to do, mister suppressing semblance." He swallowed his spit, and the nurse sat next to him, having a few question for the huntsmen.

"Wait, who told you?!" He thought his friends knew he didn't quite want yet to reveal his semblance to everyone who didn't already know, until he realized there was only one person who would do this, having little to no capacity for lying. "Pennyyy..." He whispered and turned to the nurse. _Well, might as well come clean about the whole thing..._ He didn't like hiding the truth and twisting it himself, so if he's already in the position, he should tell the truth. "Okay, so what do you want to know?"

"So, first things first: Where and how did you discover that was your semblance?"

"At the battle against the dragon. I ran to help team RWBY, and by seeing Cinder Fall standing there, I just felt I had to fight her, to bring Pyrrha justice. At that moment, I felt my aura explode, and from there things are pretty much a blur, most of what happened was filled in for me by Yang and Ruby."

"I see..." The nurse, as well as most other people, knew that Jaune ran off, but no one was told what he really did there, so this filled a few holes in her head about those events. "And who knows so far?"

"Besides team RWBY, Ren, Nora and Penny, there are Glynda and Qrow, but that's about it. I really didn't want to worry people with this power that much..." He knew that most people would freak out a little if they thought that he could disable them from using the one power that made them unique and special with a mere whim. Yet, for some reason, he didn't feel it was a wrong thing to do. Yes, some would be limited more than others, but in the end, in every fight he had so far with his semblance, mock combat or no he an ACTUAL chance of winning.

"And how much control do you have over it? Could you, say, activate it right now?" Her voice became a little tense. It was obvious it would happen. Bound to even.

"Not that much. So far, I've had to recall the feelings I felt when I fought Cinder to force myself into enabling it, though breaking my concentration usually disperses the semblance."

"I see... Well, the important thing is that you just be careful with it."

"Wait, can I ask you to keep this under wraps? I really don't want to cause some panic, okay?"

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me." The nurse gave him a small grin and went towards the door.

"Well, for now, you should just stay here and rest some more. I'm sure your aura will kick in eventually and heal you. In the meantime, if you need anything, just give me a shout, okay?"

"Yeah, sure thing."

* * *

A few days later Jaune was released back outside; his would fully healed. As he exited the healing ward, his friends and RWBY were waiting for him outside, looking very cheerful that their friend was okay at last.

"So, how do you feel!?" Nora and Penny almost simultaneously jumped him if not for Ren and Yang having to hold them down.

"I'm fine, thanks." Jaune and the rest went together to eat and hang around, but all over the day, a certain thought crept into Jaune's head. An ideal that while he didn't truly want to recognize, he knew it was a part of him, and it was there to stay: Whenever he would use his semblance so far, he just felt equal. The same as everyone else. Even further than that, he felt that others, too, were the same. In his new world, everyone was given the same treatment. The talented, the powerful, the meek and inept. Under his new force, no one could hide. No one could 'cheat' with powers and abilities that others did not have, putting them at an unfair disadvantage. It was a new way to see things, and Jaune wasn't quite sure how he felt about it fully, but this will be something that he would have to face sooner or later, and he knew that well.

After a day of goofing around and nothing notable happening, the two teams finally decided to part ways, each returning to their own rooms while Penny herself just floated around on her jet boots, wanting to appreciate the evening breeze.

"Hey, Ren," Jaune decided to consult his friend about his inner struggles, and Ren approached him, sitting on his bed.

"Yeah, Jaune? Something on your mind?"

"I wanted to ask you: Whenever we fight, and I use my semblance. How does it feel for you?"

Ren gave it some thought, trying to find the right phrasing. "Well, it feels a little oppressing. I can feel my aura, and the way it moves, but for some reason, I just can't bring it out. I really can't say it's a nice feeling, but on the other hand, it doesn't make me feel helpless or weak."

"Really?" Jaune felt a little bad hearing that. "Does it hurt?"

"No, Not at all." Ren tried to reassure him. "Just a little pushy."

"I'm outside for a bit." Jaune abruptly got up and went outside in the night for a stroll. He had a lot to think about, and he wanted to do it by himself for a while. While walking around the sleeping camp, Jaune passed by Glynda's hall, and saw a figure sitting on its roof, and decided to check who it was. He climbed the ruins leading up to the top, only to find Blake sitting on the edge, enjoying the view.

"Blake?" He was a little surprised to see her alone like that at such a late hour. Jaune came and sat next to her. "Trouble sleeping?"

"No, not really." Blake turned to him and continued. "Just, wanted to get some fresh air, you know?"

"Same here." The mood was very soothing, and the two just sat in silence at stared out into the ruins of Vale. So far, not a lot of restoration work had been done, probably because many still needed time to digest the whole grimm dragon that almost killed them all.

"Say, Blake, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"You want to protect everyone, right? Make sure people can be happy."

"Yeah, why?" Her feelings on the subject had pretty solidified over time. Her fear was much smaller compared to her desire to help, and be accepted for her actions, not her race.

"Well, would you agree that equality means people have no reason to fight, thus no one would get hurt?"

"I guess if you look at it that way..." She wasn't quite sure where Jaune was going with this.

"So in order to protect people, you can make them all equal." He concluded. "Now, here's my next question: If no one had anything, would you still call that equality?"

"Jaune, I..." She was quite shocked to hear him speak like that. "I'm not sure how to define that. What about expression? Free will? What about our very different natures as living beings?"

"I don't know." Jaune wasn't even sure of himself right now. "But lately, I've been doing some thinking. And you know what I found?" He looked at his hand, getting a faint glimpse of his aura. "That whenever I use my semblance, Whenever I force everyone into the same spectrum of power, I suddenly get a chance to shine. In a world where I was always pushed to the bottom of the charts due to some latent ability I didn't even knew if I had, while all those around me celebrated their semblances, and their amazing strengths. But now I can change that Blake!" He got up. "Imagine! A world where no one would be better due to some inherent specialty no one else has! A world where we could all be equal! So what if a fee things have to be oppressed. Think about the big picture!" The ideas flowed through his mind, and Jaune just let them out, Blake barely even recognizing the Jaune that stood before her.

"Jaune, do you remember the great war our forefathers fought?"

"No, why?" Jaune didn't quite remember all of those history lessons from Beacon. Back in the day, he never really paid any special attention to any of that.

"80 years ago, our very forefathers fought a great tyranny that threatened our very right to speak, to express ourselves." She started. "It was a war about freedom, about the uniqueness of each individual. At some point, the tyranny tried to destroy any means of self expression, which included art in the most part, which, as you might have noticed, brought forth a generation of people all named after the most basic aspect trait of art: Color." Jaune knew that much. "In the end, the rebels won, and the world entered an era of peace, bringing us to today."

"That's a great thing then, no?" He didn't see what Blake was trying to say.

"Yes, but Jaune." She got up as well as looked into his eyes. "What you just said were not the words of a free man." She paused for a minute.

"They were the words of a tyrant."

That last sentence hit Jaune like a hammer, and he suddenly realized what he was saying all of a sudden. "Oh." That's all he could say to that argument. He knew she was right, but still, that feeling hadn't gone away. After a while of not saying anything, Jaune opened his mouth again.

"Still, though." He looked up to the moon. "I think we should be equal."

"Perhaps, but if that is what you strive for, you must be careful." Blake did understand where Jaune was coming from. The white fang, at least in its past, strove to bring equality as well, though not to all, but some of the population, namely the faunus. She saw it in her own eyes as the once noble group twisted and got corrupted until their name became synonymous with terror and death. "The line between equality and oppression is a thin one."

Jaune nodded, and the two just sat again, looking at the shattered moon, until it became too late, and each returned to their room to get some good night sleep. Jaune still had a lot to think about, but as he connected to this desire to help everyone and make sure no one is left behind as the weak one, he noticed that his aura reacted to his will, and his semblance starting to rear its head from within him. Jaune held it back, not wanting to accidentally cause a commotion if he walked by other people, though that brought a small realization to him. That was the trigger, the true trigger, he needed for his power. He entered JNR's room and laid in his bed. In his head, many thoughts passed, about what Blake had told him, about how he saw the world.

 _I think I know how I'll name you._ Jaune thought to himself as if he addressed his semblance. Many people would name their powers and strengths, giving them a streak of individualism. If Jaune didn't want to lose that spirit of freedom within him. he decided he would give his own name to his semblance as well. He cleared his thoughts, and the single world floated in his mind, filling him with resolve.

_Equalizer._


	27. Intermission 4: Whispers of The Silent

Roman was gone.

It took Neo a long while to learn that, having being blown away by that little Red on that airship where they last fought. Ever since that girl managed to outwit her, and use her own weapon to make her fly off into the vast ruins, she just wondered Vale, looking for her mentor and love, and while she could never actually confess to him, having never finding the time nor the mental fortitude, she still felt it burning in her heart, and had a glimpse of hope, a small wish that he was somewhere, anywhere, waiting for her to find him. Neo saw so much death in those days. Grimm killing people. People killing grimm.

People killing people.

The times have changed, and things would never return, as the black haired one said. She never really liked that bitch, only following her command because Roman saw it as the right move at the time. She should have never said yes. Because of her, Roman is dead.

She found out a few days prior. A regular scouting of the area, a regular griffon, attacking her. A regular slaughtering of another blood hungry monster. But then, as the beast dissipated into the ashes, something emerged from within. Something she recognized to her horror.

A scarf. And a hat.

It broke Neo's heart. Her soul. From there, on the following months, she dimply went on, having lost the one, single thing in life she ever had. Her life became a savage one, killing and massacring not even for a reason. Grimm, man, didn't matter to her what it was anymore, so long as death was in her eyes. There was just so much rage, so much anger and sadness in her heart, she couldn't bear it anymore. She needed release, something that would take the pain away, so all she did, from dawn to dusk, was kill. However, no matter how many times she ended the life of another, the old lesson her teacher once taught her still rang crystal clear in her mind: Kill and steal, but only when necessary.

People could say a lot about Roman Torchwick. They could say he was a scoundrel, a murderer, a thief and even just plainly an asshole. But she knew what he really was: A survivor. He understood that in this world, no one will stick out for you just because. People cheat, lie, and steal, and the only thing one could do was accept the status quo, and follow the beaten path. And with every death she committed, she could feel another hint of Roman within her as she lost another piece of herself.

The months went on, and Neo was still inside Vale, having no way to leave. As the time went by, she noticed a change again, and this time, it was for the better: Huntsmen, or at the very least, huntsmen in training. They were younger, simpler, and she engaged them multiple times, attempting to end them all. But for some reason, whenever she stood above one, her umbrella at the ready, just before the finishing blow, she looked into their eyes, and saw herself, eight months ago: Still hopeful. Still wanting to believe there was something worth living for. She couldn't bring herself, hearing Roman screaming in her ears to just leave them alone, that there was no point to kill someone this harmless, to not do it. So she just left, vanishing with her semblance into thin air. One time, she tailed them to see what was happening, and saw that they had an entire camp to themselves, led by none other by that Glynda Goodwitch from Beacon. She hasn't seen a familiar face in months, and knowing her, just flat out attacking an entire base filled with students was bound to be something she would regret. She left back to her roams of the empty landscape, humans and faunus all but gone, either escaped the wreckage, joined up with the headmistress, or died off, with only the creatures of grimm to keep her company. She was ready to die, not having any point in living anymore.

A single beowulf. should have been no problem, especially alone. It came at her, claws drawn, and Neo just took it with no resistance, letting it slice her away. She was knocked down, closed her eyes, and prepared for the grimm to finally end her miserable existence. But then, just before she could feel its claws on her neck, a roar shattered all around her, and the wolf stopped, rose up, and walked away. She got up shortly after, and beheld as the grimm dragon, a frozen reminder of Roman's death, began to shake and tumble, its wings slightly moving again. She knew it would come, it would find her and kill her, and that she stood no possible chance against it on her own. A few hours of staring at the end later, it finally defrosted, and soared on to the skies, looking as triumphant as the day Cinder released it from its tomb. She watched as it flew towards the camp where all the huntsmen were, and as it soared through the sky, she spotted someone riding it: _her._ It filled her with fury. The one person that was responsible for the utter destruction of her life, was now sitting on top of the monster that would bring the end to all. She felt her legs move on their own, and started following the dragon on its war path, avoiding the legions of grimm it spawned and commanded. Suddenly, it stopped, and started to circle the same area. She looked what was there that could possibly have made such a terrible force halt its path of ruin, only to see another face she hoped perished in the aftermath of Vale's fall: Red, and her team, the faunus holding the White Fang's leader's weapon for some reason, the Schnee clad in shining white armor, and the brute, with her right arm replaced with what she only assume was crystal. As the group fought the mighty harbinger of death, bringing it down to the ground with an aerial assault, she watched from the far sidelines. Their bravery and strength impressing her greatly. If there was anyone she still had to kill, it would be red, and it would be Cinder. Neo already made her plans: Once they've weakened enough or killed the dragon, she'll sneak in on all of them once they've tired each other out, and dispatch of the two in one, swift, motion. Suddenly, after they have knocked Cinder off the dragon, and fought her directly, they stopped. The yellow haired one looked around, seemingly counting something in her head, until finally her face landed on Cinder, horrified. She looked as Cinder laughed, and small, black grimm insects started to emerge from under her skin. It made her sick. She wanted to vomit, but nonetheless, this newfound information about one of her targets wasn't going to deter her from continuing with her plan. Then, Cinder almost killed red, before another person came out of nowhere, and started to attack Cinder as well. An unnecessary interference, but not a major one, though it seemed that for the short while he was awake, none of them managed to use any form of power besides their most basic physical skills. She watched on after he got knocked out, and finally, red managed to kill the dragon. Now was her chance, her one shot. She could show up right there, and kill Cinder and red in one fell swoop. But alas, red was faster, and while she did get close, she was too late, and red, again with the help of the strange boy's semblance and her glowing eyes, knocked Cinder down and beheaded her, slowly evaporating on the floor. She, however, noticed something they did not. As they left to go back to the camp, carrying the once again unconscious boy with them, a small part of Cinder emerged. A single bug, headed towards her. She tried to kill the grimm insect, but its speed was uncanny, slithering through her shoes with ease, and heading to god knows where. Whatever it was, Cinder must have REALLY needed it to stay alive. There was nothing she could do now. Cinder was dead, and now her vengeance relied on a single person. She followed them to their little camp, and waited. She would need to be as ready as possible, red and her team each gaining a new form of strength, and something told her that this time, parley tricks and illusions were not going to save her when everything else fails. Besides, last time she was about to kill the brute, that woman appeared out of nowhere, and her mere presence was enough for her, and she ran away. She had to make sure that woman isn't there anymore, shadowing the yellow huntress, and only then, could she plan their demise.

Days turned into weeks, and so far, things have been quite easy on the group, unlike Neo. While they frolicked out in the sun, laughed and enjoyed their time (With the seeming exception of the heiress...) and improved themselves even further, she was stuck spying them. She resorted to theft, stealing food from their supplies when she needed, as her mentor taught her. Her semblance was perfect for such espionage works, and even at times she would almost be noticed, she could use her ability to create illusions making her nearly impossible to detect. This was her life for now: Amass information, deduce daily patterns, and when the time is ripe, kill red. Though, so far, it seemed that this mission would almost be unachievable without alerting everyone, seeing as the heiress was almost ALWAYS with her. Like, all the time. And even though her private time was basically done with, red seemed not to mind, embracing the Schnee with all of her love, as the two shared what she could only describe as a very strange relationship, with the heiress seeming to be very obsessive and possessive of red. No doubt, killing red would cause her to go into a crazed frenzy, and she would have to escape as fast as she could, if she still wanted to be alive. On the other hand, none of her other friends were any less powerful, and not only that, the yellow one seemed to have started teaching everyone in the camp about aura mastery. She listened to those lessons in secret, and decided she would learn as well. Roman once taught her that no source of power is unwelcomed, even if it came from the enemy. There was, however, one major problem.

The boy.

Neo could do a lot of damage to an unprepared team. Even if she killed red, she could still manage to avoid her crazy girlfriend or the rest of her team. Him, however, would be another story. After watching some of his spars with his friends, she realized his semblance was a lot more powerful than she first thought, giving him the ability to suppress not only auras and dust, but semblances as well. If she came close to him while his semblance was on, she could not use hers to escape, rendering her stuck with them while they pummel her to death. She would have to either kill him first, assuming she could even get near him, or create a distraction, dividing the larger group, and taking down red when she's as alone as she can get her.

* * *

It was dark at night, and Neo decided to sneak under the night's cover into the camp itself, in order to learn as much as she can about her target's base. She already charted the guard's positions and shift change hours, and combining all of those gave her a clear picture of where to be, and when. Attacking red now was an option, but when she checked, she discovered she shares a bed with the heiress. Attempting to assassinate her right there and then would carry the risk of the heiress waking up in response and alerting the entire camp, something she wanted to avoid. A rustle came from the bed on the other side of the room, and she could clearly see the yellow haired one, who was sleeping with the faunus, move in her bed, forcing Neo to flee before she wakes up and finds her. She went on to look at the rest of the camp, and besides rooms and tents filled with sleeping children, and the occasional group of teenagers, nothing much was happening. She did, however, see one building where the lights were still on: The big building to the north of the camp. She approached it, and entered the main door, opening it as silently as she could, only to see that many of the rooms in the hall were still broken, and that in the one that seemed to be in use a meeting was held. She snuck to the door, and eavesdropped on Glynda starting her meeting.

"Good evening, everyone." She addressed what Neo only assumed were the rest of the adults running this base.

"Let's just go straight to business, shall we?" Another voice made its way through the room. A voice she recognized.

Qrow.

She was warned before by Roman. That man was a huntsman, and a fucking good one. She'd need a miracle if he spotted her. Stay away at all costs.

"As you wish" Glynda's voice became a little gruff.

They continued to talk about various subjects, from food and other supplies, to the brute's lessons, to the grimm situation outside. All seemed like a regular staff meeting deals.

"One last subject." Glynda announced near the end. "What are we going to do with the renegade that's attacking our students outside." They were talking about her. She almost gasped, but managed to control her voice in the last second.

"Hmm..." Another male talked. A teacher whom Neo couldn't recall his name. "I think we should keep our patrols walking around. She hasn't killed anyone yet by the reports, but nonetheless, she is a threat that needs to be neutralized."

"Do you think Yang had already noticed her presence in Vale?" Glynda asked.

"Either she already managed to somehow sense her all the way to the ruins outside, and she's not letting on she knows, or her range is just too short." The yellow one could sense auras. An important note, especially now that she probably already had a whiff of Neo's aura.

"Not necessarily. We haven't heard about her appearing anywhere ever since the dragon was killed." Qrow answered the man. "That could mean two things: One, she's dead or have left Vale." There was a slight pause between his sentences. "And two, she's around the camp's area, or maybe even within it. Glynda, what's our situation on the White Fang's little escapades into our food supply?"

"I ordered the guys in charge of the pantry to leave them small packages with some food every once in a while. Since then, they've stopped raiding us, so I just put that into our weekly inventory. However, We still seem to have a slight discrepancy when it comes to our food. Someone has been stealing from it."

Neo didn't stay to hear the rest of their little assembly. If they now suspect that she was amongst them, then their heightened awareness to her would make them more suspicious of their surroundings, and she would be more likely to be spotted. It was kind of obvious what they would decide to do, actively patrolling the insides of the camp as well, in an attempt to find her. On top of that, there was Yang, the brute, whom they would ask to try and track her down. She had to leave. It was too dangerous to stay hidden in their own camp anymore.

Neo quickly made her way outside of there, and escaped the camp as fast as she could. Trying now was pointless. Anymore in there and they would have easily found her out. Then she will wait; eventually their high alert would cease, and she could infiltrate and try again.

* * *

Neo wondered the ruins, a blank expression on her face. She had nothing, she was nothing, and until she could go back and kill red, all she had to do was just train, and kill grimm. She still took comfort in it, and actively sought them out, killing as many as she could. Fortunately, they just kept on finding HER, attracted to her loathing and hatred. An ursa, big one, ran towards her, and she jumped on it, quickly pulling her blade from her umbrella and stabbing it in the neck, ending. Then, another one, just as big. Another swift kill. And even more came at her, one by one, and soon she had to switch to defense, her aura quickly depleting. Something was wrong. After Cinder's death, grimm activity was substantially impaired. Even Neo could see that. But now, they were relentless, coming one after another, biting and stabbing at her many illusions aiming for her throat. Neo did her best, hacking away at as many as she could, but she couldn't hold on for much longer. She had to survive, had to escape, had to kill red, all for Roman's sake. This was her last stand; it would seem. There was no escape, and no matter where she ran, more grimm just waited for her. She stood before them, and readied her umbrella while opening her mouth, and giving a battle cry.

"AAAAHHHHHHHH!" She ran at them as well. This was all or nothing. She killed as many as she could, but soon, they overpowered her, and everything blacked out.

Neo floated in the darkness. If she wasn't dead yet, she'll most likely be soon. Suddenly, she heard another's call. Someone was fending the grimm off. She wanted to wake up and run away, but she was just to hurt to move. Neo opted to just silently wait until her would be defender killed off the grimm, and she could escape. After a few minutes, the silence came back, which means he either died and the grimm left, or he managed to kill all of them. She felt control over her body return to her, and she opened her eyes, only to see the one person she hoped to avoid at all costs.

The yellow-haired boy.

She had no idea what the hell he even did there, but by a freakish streak of luck, he was now sitting next to her, waiting for her to wake up or something. She had to consider her options: She could try and surprise him with her umbrella knife, but her aura was diminished, and he could easily overpower her. Escaping was out of the question, his semblance would negate her ability to create illusions that would support her fleeing, so she was stuck next to him. She decided to go with the flow for now, and see if she could outwit him later down the road.

Neo opened her eyes, and the boy looked at her with relief.

"Oh, thank god you're awake. When I found I thought you were dead, until I saw you were still breathing. Anyway, I'm Jaune. Jaune Arc. What's your name?"

She started at him silently.

"So... Not the talkative type, huh? Well, suit yourself..." he offered her his hand.

"You should come with me. You seem tired, and you could use a good meal." His kindness was baffling to her. She assumed that he was there to look for her, sent by his friends for his semblance oppressing ability to counteract hers. Why was he being so nice then?

"You were really lucky. I just happened to walk by on a patrol when I heard you scream. I ran over and saw dozens of grimm coming towards you, so I stepped in" He puffed his chest a little. "Anyway, you really should come with me, okay?" He waited for her to respond.

Neo thought. It was the perfect chance. She could use him, make her way into the camp in broad day light, and when they least expect it, attack red. She made up her mind.

Neo grabbed his hand back, as the two walked towards Glynda's camp.


	28. The Cycle of Vengence

Ruby woke up in her bed in Vale, greeting the world for yet another calm morning. It has been at least three weeks now since the dragon was slain by her, along with its task mistress, Cinder Fall. Next to her, on the bed, laid Ruby's partner in action and lover, Weiss. Weiss, having learned Ruby's sleeping habits and adjusting hers to match, woke up a few seconds later, and sat up on their bed, looking at Ruby.

"Good morning, Weiss." Ruby gave her a loving smile.

"Morning." Weiss was still struggling with emotion. Her father's brutal treatment still showed on her, and most of the time, at least on the outside, Weiss was as cold and as indifferent as ever. However, when the two were alone, she managed to show a little more of herself to Ruby and Ruby alone, revealing the ice was slowly melting. She was slightly more cheerful at times, and on that morning, Ruby could see the hint of a smile forming on Weiss' face.

"You're smi-ling..." Ruby cheerfully said, and pecked her on the lips. Ruby did love her, a lot even, and even if Weiss couldn't return those feelings completely at the moment, mostly staying with Ruby because she was one of the sole things that kept Weiss from just shutting herself out completely, even if Ruby could only do a tiny bit for her every day, it was worth it.

On the bed across the room, her sister and other team member, Yang and Blake, were still sleeping. Ruby was a little surprised to see Yang still in bed, usually she would wake up first and leave Blake in bed, going about her morning routine. Whatever the reason, she was still asleep, and Ruby and Weiss decided to get out of bed and prepare for the day. The first thing they did was go to the showers, to clean themselves from the day before. Lately, all they have been doing was just go on simple extermination missions to slay rouge grimm that would wander too close to the camp where they stayed. Unfortunately, since the camp was still based in the Ruins of old Vale, they had a communal bath, with at least a separation of the sexes.

"You coming Weiss?" Ruby already packed two towels.

"Yeah, let us go." Weiss quickly followed her through the camp, in her regular clingy fashion. As they walked towards the showers, they saw many of the huntsmen trainees getting up as well, and going about their regular business. Life was just allowed to be simpler for a while, away from all the violence, war and death, and Ruby decided to make the most of this time and to let herself and her team rest as much as possible, going on actual missions fairly rarely, and with Yang giving lessons of dust forging to everyone, she barely even had the time to go with them, leaving Ruby with most of the action. While Yang would love nothing more than let out some steam on grimm every once in a while, she had a well of knowledge to pass to her students: The secrets of aura and dust. Her right arm was a living proof of her newfound wisdom, creating it entirely of dust by herself, and dubbing it the Dust Celica. It granted her a set of uncanny of abilities, most of which revolved around auras. Her most remarkable power, however, was her ability to see auras with unequipped eyes and trace them across the world, which was what let Yang find Blake all those months ago.

A group of kids approached the two on their way, seemingly in the middle of a game. The leader of this small town, Glynda Goodwitch, started this camp with the desire to protect the many children that lost their parents and guardians to the attacks at the Vytal Festival, and many of them were still a little too young to begin training.

"Good morning ms. angel!" The kids called to Ruby.

"Sheesh guys, I told you, you can just call me Ruby, okay?"

Ruby still felt a little embarrassed by her new nickname. In the time that followed their battle, each of the girls earned a title of sorts, in relation to her abilities:

Ruby was named the angel, for her silver eyes, through which she could channel her aura, radiating immense light and strength.

Weiss became the white knight, due to her unique ability to summon a set of white, shining armor on herself, including a large light blade that covered her weapon, as well as greatly enhancing its range. Weiss was also called that for her knight like behavior on the battlefield, mostly staying close to Ruby and protecting her from harm.

Blake was dubbed the army of one, for her semblance gives her the ability to create physical images of herself that she could send at her opponents, allowing her to attack from multiple directions at the same time.

And finally, Yang is now called the dustmaster, due to her control over the material, unrivaled by anyone in the camp so far. Her lessons have only helped cement this title for her, and many of her students refer to her by that title.

Ruby and Weiss entered the showers, who were quite empty, and began to bathe in the water. This was one of Weiss' favorite parts of the day, as this was her chance to get some private time with her Ruby while the letter was still a little shy when it came to more intimate actions. Weiss begrudgingly respected that, and for now, being able to be with Ruby alone was enough for her.

"Hey, Weiss. Want me to wash you?" Ruby grabbed a bit of liquid soap, and approached Weiss, who was ecstatic. She let Ruby clean her up, and after the two finished bathing and got dressed, they went to Glynda's office, to see if there was anything new for them to do that day. So far, the schedule for each day was pretty similar, having no need to go to any of her uncle's lessons about combat, and outright refusing Ooblek when he offered them a place in his history class. Qrow, Glynda and Oobleck were basically the leaders of the camp, with the other adults that stayed behind mostly assistants, other huntsmen and huntresses whom had no idea how to approach teaching, and the occasional trading group, bringing them supplies from the other three kingdoms. For reasons they wouldn't share, Glynda and her small council have decided to not yet redeclare Vale as a kingdom, preferring to maintain it's 'ruins' state, even though in reality they have already started to rebuild some of the buildings in the residential district, expanding the camp's borders and moving the children still sleeping in tents to warmer houses with actual beds in them. Ruby knocked on the door, and she and Weiss entered the small office, with its makeshift tables and chairs, improvised by Glynda. At her side, her uncle Qrow and the teacher Ooblek were sitting together, trying to map out where to continue their expansion of their new Vale. Grimm were still an issue in this decision, but with the dragon gone, their numbers quickly dwindled, giving the people there an actual chance to rebuild their lost kingdom.

"Ahh, Ruby, Weiss. How are the two of you this morning?" Glynda looked at them and gave a quick wave with her hand. Qrow and Oobleck looked at the two silently before going back to the various maps and charts scattered on the desk before them.

"We're good." Ruby answered. "Have you heard from Jaune yet?" Jaune, the leader of team JNR, which consisted of him and his two teammates Ren and Nora, left the day prior on a simple extermination mission, to kill a bunch of grimm to the west of the camp, in order to clear it out for a possible reconstruction.

"No, not yet." Glynda half-heartedly replied, herself not really paying very much attention to the red huntress. "But I'm sure he is fine. He should be back to report any time now, as a matter of fact, so if you do see him, tell him to report to me as soon as possible please."

"Will do." Ruby and Weiss said and left them to their plans and maps. She knew they were very busy with the new possibility of retaking Vale entirely, but she still wished Qrow could give her a bit more attention, like he used to in her youth. They returned to their room, to see Blake and Yang already up, Yang preparing for her daily lesson. So far, many of her students have reached sufficient awareness over their own aura, and she believed it was time for them to start learning about the actual reason Glynda asked her to start those lessons in the get go: Dust forging. Using this skill, Yang taught herself how to reshape and restructure dust into various and marvelous forms, notably her right arm. Other than that, though, Yang mostly used this skill to forge dust bullets for her team's weapons, each with her own unique specifications. This would finally lift some weight from Yang's back, seeing as each of them could just make her own ammunition, and Yang could go back to doing whatever she wants with her free time.

"Hey Yang, hey Blake."

"Hey Rubes." Yang smiled cheerfully at her, and Blake nodded back.

"Hey Yang, I noticed you didn't wake up today for your morning jog. Everything okay?" Ruby was a little concerned for her sister's well-being.

"Oh? Yeah, I'm all right." Yang scratched her head. "But last night I could swear I felt someone watching us... It made me turn in our bed, and I couldn't sleep easily after that."

"Well, we should look around." Weiss decided. "If anyone was watching us sleeping, we need to find who it was post-haste." The mere thought that someone could be spying on Ruby made her angry, one of the emotions she managed to retrieve quite early on her journey.

"I guess you're right..." Ruby agreed. "Well, I'll go now and look around. See you two at Yang's lesson!" Ruby called and went with Weiss to search around the camp for the peeping tom that Yang told her about. They all knew that if Yang sensed something, she probably wasn't fibbing it, and that means something was up, and Ruby didn't intend to let that slide. They asked around the camp to find out if anyone else say someone late at night, walking around the buildings, but even the sentries stationed on the night shift didn't see anything out of the norm. This whole thing was baffling to her, and eventually, they passed by the main entrance, and decided to look around the outside walls for any sort of clues.

"Hey, Ruby! Hey, Weiss!" They heard a voice in the distance, and Ruby looked to see Jaune, finally returning from his mission. At this point, the sun was already high above them, and it was just about the time for lunch. Next to Jaune, another person seemed to walk, just behind, but Ruby couldn't recognize that person's face from that far off. As Jaune and the mystery person got close to her, Ruby started to make the details: Relatively short, Brown and Pink hair, heterochromatic eyes, a pink-white jacket and high white boots, and a pink umbrella, on which she leaned on as she walked. Ruby instantly recognized that person: Neo, Roman Torchwick's assistant, and one of the few that helped Cinder Fall bring Vale to destruction.

Ruby and Weiss didn't waste a minute, and drew their weapon, Crescent Rose and Myrtenaster, and prepared to take the rouge criminal on.

"Calm down! She's a friendly!" Jaune called to them.

"You think this is one of her illusions?" Ruby whispered to Weiss, who examined the situation. The way Jaune walked seemed genuinely enough, and Neo shouldn't have had any chance encounter with the huntsmen, so being able to imitate him to that degree should have been impossible to her, even if she did just meet him last night. However, there was no way to be sure, and there was only one person she could think of that could recognize how many people were walking in their direction.

"I don't know, but we need Yang for this."

"You're right. Weiss, hold her off while I go to fetch Yang."

"Right." Weiss concentrated, letting her armor cover her body. Against an opponent like Neo, she could never be sure what was real and what wasn't, so she had to take no guarantees about the matter.

"Whoa, Weiss! Calm down!" Jaune and Neo stopped close to her; Weiss already had her weapon drawn and ready. "Don't you recognize me? What's wrong with you?"

"Silence! You are going to stay right there until Yang gets here, and we can see if you're really Jaune, or should I say, Neopolitan!"

"Wait, YOU'RE Neopolitan?!" Jaune was surprised to hear her name, as if he didn't already know. "Is that you didn't tell me your name?!"

The fact that Jaune would be the kind of guy to lead an unnamed, potentially dangerous person straight into the heart of their camp didn't make Weiss surprised in the least. If anything, she half expected him to do something as stupid as that.

"Weiss! I'm here!" She heard Yang call from behind her as she and Blake ran over with Ruby, and she lowered her weapon, letting the dustmaster examine the two. Yang didn't have to concentrate much to see that there were, in fact, two auras standing before them.

"He's real all right." She concluded. "Unfortunately, so does _her._ "

"Can I come over now?" Jaune whimpered.

"Yes. Yes you can..." Yang said, and he went to their side, but just as Neo started to follow him, Ruby pointed her scythe at her.

"YOU, on the other hand, stay right there."

"Guys, wait! She didn't do anything wrong!" Jaune tried to intervene. "If anything, I SAVED her from a large group of grimm trying to kill her! She had the chance to attack me on the way here, but didn't!" Jaune pleaded for her innocence, while Neo just stood there, in her usual silence. "Can't we at least give her a chance?"

Ruby hated to be so hard on other people, and lowered her weapon. She figured Neo might have not known about Roman's death by a grimm, so if Ruby could just explain things to her, maybe she could help Neo become a better person then that criminal. "Okay." She started to head towards Neo.

"Listen, Neo. I'm gonna give you a chance, okay? I know you're probably looking for Roman right now." Neo's face almost twitched hearing Ruby saying that to HER, and managed to keep her facial expression under control. "But..." Ruby's voice became silent. It was hard to discuss the death of another, and Ruby learned that on her journey with JNR to Mistral. A lot of people passed away around her, and Ruby learned that sometimes the best thing you can do for a person to help them was to confront death head on. "But he died. Eaten by a griffon." Ruby offered Neo her hand. "Still, you need to be strong. If you want, you can join us. If Jaune decides he trust you." Ruby made up her resolve "Than so do I!"

Neo wasn't even sure how to react to that. Everything was just so perfect. Red just came straight up to her, weapon down, and seemed to place trust in her. The rest, even the heiress, stayed back, giving Neo the perfect opportunity. She pulled her umbrella knife, while using her semblance to pretend just pulling her hand towards her, and prepared to stab her heart out. Red even had the audacity of talking to HER about Roman. Like she knew him or something. People like that made Neo sick to her soul, and she was now sure, more than ever, that this would bring her peace. All she had to do was fool everyone long enough, until it would be too late.

All she had to do was kill her.

Neo's heart beat so hard she could almost hear it. Time started to slow down for her, and she saw red, still with that insufferable smile on her face, her hand still raised forward. Neo pulled her knife, and while making them see her raise her hand, sent the knife at red's heart.

Yang thought something was odd: Even though Neo was raising her hand to greet Ruby's, it didn't feel right to her, her aura was mismatching her body in movement. She focused harder, closing her eyes and opening her aura vision as hard as she could, she looked at Neo, and she the picture clearly: Even though she seemed innocent, Yang could see her aura acting murderously, and instantly, she realized something was wrong.

"Ruby look out!" She dashed between the two, and felt the cold blade of Neo's short sword touch her Dust Celica, as the illusion dissipated, revealing Neo's true face: Her calm expression was gone, leaving behind a tortured, maddened one. The others raised their weapons, and prepared to strike Neo down, waiting to see what she'll do next.

Neo jumped back, and readied another strike. She didn't care, it was now or never, and even though she had no clue as to how the brute managed to see through her, it didn't matter anymore. She was going to kill red, right there and then, and then maybe she could join Roman in the afterlife. Yang summoned the Blaze Celica and took a fighting stance, but before she could jump on forward Ruby dashed before her, and stopped her with her hand. "No." She said silently. She was grateful for Yang for saving her, but when she saw Neo's real face, something made her pity the young woman. She knew that face before, and she saw it a lot recently and on her journey: It was grief. Warped by madness, but nonetheless, grief.

"You want to kill me, right?" Ruby raised Crescent Rose and tuned out everything else around her. "You think it will grant you peace of mind? Maybe this is revenge for killing Cinder before you could." She knew how this would go down: If Neo did kill her, yes, for a while, she would feel better. But that relief would be short, followed by hollowness that would not go away. "Then take me on. One on one." She knew there was only one solution. She would fight Neo, and let her take her anger out. Hopefully, by the end of it she would have calmed down for a bit and would listen to reason. She turned back for a quick moment. "Jaune, no semblance! I want her to give it everything she can."

Neo opened her mouth. It felt odd to her to feel her vocal chords vibrating, having not spoken a word to anyone in months, but she knew she had to say it to her. It was inevitable.

"My name is Neopolitan. You killed my mentor. prepare to die."

With that, Neo lounged at the huntress, brandishing her umbrella with perfected grace, and stabbed Ruby in multiple directions. Ruby used her semblance to avoid each strike, and retaliated with sniper shots and scythe swings, and the two got locked into a cycle to dodge and counterattack. Neo smirked, and all of a sudden Ruby saw her vanish right before her eyes, as Neo started using her semblance and acrobatics to outpace her. Sure, Ruby was faster, but Neo was a lot more agile and precise with her body, giving her an advantage at close range against someone with such a large, clumsy weapon. Ruby started to feel slashed and stabs all over her body, and her aura did its best to guard her against Neo's relentless assault.

"Neo, Please! You don't have to do this!" Ruby tried to reach out to her, but was too busy carving more wounds into her skin. "Fine! Than how about this!?" Ruby let are aura flow into her eyes with great intensity, and her eyes started to glow bright white. Ruby gained a little more control over herself thanks to Yang's lessons, and now she could move and see freely through her power, as long as she didn't overexert herself. With the silver eyes activated, the tables have turned. Neo's movement became clearer to her, and Ruby could finally dodge them, and attack back, swinging Crescent Rose at Neo, whom didn't seem really that phased by Ruby's boost in strength. However, while fighting red, Neo's thoughts started to drift into a different direction. She knew it was the grimm who killed Roman. She saw his remains inside of one. _Than how was red responsible? Because she killed Cinder, who controlled the grimm?_ Neo quickly shook those questions away, focusing more on the fight at hand. Ruby was a tough costumer, but Neo already had her fair share of beings that were much stronger than her. She decided to change tactics, and started to play dirty, grabbing a pile of dirt and throwing it into Ruby's eyes. Ruby was momentarily blinded, giving Neo the opportunity to swipe her off her feet.

Ruby tried to get up, but Neo was already on top of her, her leg pressed against Ruby's chest. She slowly raised her weapon, and prepared to finish the job, as Ruby's friends came to try and help her.

"Please, Neo." Ruby looked into her eyes and showed her no sign of fear. "Killing me won't bring Roman back. You know this."

Upon hearing Ruby say that, Neo suddenly stepped back. She didn't know what killing Ruby would accomplish anymore, but the most terrible thing was, that she was right: Roman was gone. Nothing she did would bring him back, no matter how hard she tried. If anything, Ruby wasn't to Blame. It was the grimm. It was just so easy to drop all the blame on one person and kill them in order to feel relieved. But somewhere inside, Neo knew that killing Ruby won't do anything.

She tried to shake away those thoughts, and returned to her fighting stance, while Ruby cleaned the sand from her eyes and got up, the white glow subsiding, and her silver eyes returning to normal. Neo's hands began to tremble. Her movements became slower. It was clear now, that she no longer just fighting Ruby.

She was fighting herself as well.

The fight went on, but slowly, Neo became slower and slower, as tears began to form on her face. Ruby didn't need some fancy aura vision to tell that she was suffering, and resolved to try and help her as well. While she had a special place in her heart for Weiss, she just couldn't bring herself to leave another person behind to her suffering and despair. Neo Came at her with a stab to her heart again, pulling as much strength as she had left. Ruby simply dropped her weapon, and Neo stopped mere millimeters from her skin.

"Ruby! What are you doing?! Have you gone mad?!" Weiss couldn't believe her eyes. Her armor formed on its own, and she started to run to Ruby's aid, only to be stopped by Yang.

"Just let her do this, Weiss. You can't understand her right now, but Ruby is doing the best thing she can for Neo at the moment. She's giving her a second chance."

The fight stopped, and Neo could feel the sweat beads form on her face. This was the perfect chance, and yet her body refused to move.

"I won't fight you, Neo." Ruby decided. "If you kill me, you throw yourself back into despair." She opened her arms. "But you don't have to. Please."

Neo's mind pulsated and hurt. She felt the world spinning, and for a moment, she thought she was going to die out of pure pressure, that this was some secret technique used by red. But her body told her otherwise: This isn't what Roman would have wanted. If he was in her place, he would simply go where there was more power, and switching sides for him was a regular thing. But Neo still kept her loyalties to him, and now that he was gone, she was free to choose whatever she wanted to do. Her heart beat louder and louder, as she raised her weapon, tears flowing like a river.

"aaaaaAAAAAHHHHH!" She screamed and came to kill Ruby, and her knife dropped half way. She just couldn't take it anymore, and she passed out mid way, falling into Ruby's arms as she caught her. She signaled to the others it was finally over, and they got closer, examining the sleeping assassin.

"So, what do we do with her now?" Blake wondered. Neo was just done having a mental breakdown, but there was no telling what she would do once she woke up.

"We give her a bed." Ruby carried her into the camp, as her team followed her inside.


	29. Uncanny Alliances

Neo woke up in a small bed, surrounded by gray walls. Last she remembered, she tried to kill Ruby, but at the last second she passed out, having no recollection of what happened in between. She looked around, only to see the room was barely decorated, having only the bed she was in, a small window, and a wooden door across her. She decided to wait and see where this was going. If they were going to kill her, they would have done so already, and she probably doesn't have any valuable information they didn't know already. Cinder was very careful with her information, only giving her and Roman the barest of hints or clues as to what in the name of hell was her plan.

"I see you're awake." A voice was heard as the door opened, and Glynda and team RWBY entered the room. "I'm glad to see you're at least doing all right. That mental breakdown could have caused you some irreversible damage, you know."

Neo didn't say anything. She was never a woman of many words, preferring to keep her thoughts to herself.

"You should be grateful." Weiss decreed with a very commanding voice. "We SAVED you. At the very least you should express some sort of gratitude and apologize for trying to murder my Ruby."

Neo stayed silent. Weiss was getting angrier.

"WELL?!" She started to shout. "APOLOGIZE!" When Weiss gave up on trying to coerce Neo into responding, she quickly moved her hand, and went to slap her. Before she could land her hand on Neo's cheek, Ruby grabbed her hand, and Weiss froze in place.

"Weiss please. There's no need for this. You could see in her eyes she's in a lot of pain right now. Shouting at her won't solve anything." Weiss looked at Ruby, and slowly retracted her hand. She was mad, furious even, and whenever Weiss would get such surge of emotion, she would let it flow as wildly as it could, afraid that if she held it back it might disappear. She felt her face turning slight red, and went back to being her quiet self.

"But in all seriousness, you do have a series of questions to answer." Glynda went back on topic. "From our reports, you have been attacking our students on their patrols, and recently there have been speculations you've managed to infiltrate our camp, and I want some answers from you, Neopolitan." Glynda was very stern and cold, and Neo knew she deserved all of it. She thought about the matter for a few minutes, before opening her mouth.

"Sorry."

"Come again?" Glynda wasn't sure how was that an answer to her demands for information.

Neo simply turned to Ruby. "Sorry." Weiss was right. If Neo wanted to survive, that would mean grouping up with those guys for now, and in order to do that, she needed to appease them as much as possible, so saying sorry to Ruby was the first, obvious choice. That's was Roman would have done in her place, knowing him.

"That's okay." Ruby gave her a large, bright smile, and Weiss puffed a little, seemingly still a little stingy with Neo.

"So, I assume you're going to comply with me?" Glynda turned to her again, and Neo nodded in agreement.

"Excellent. For now you can rest. Once you've recovered your strength, you can ask around how to get to my office, there we can sort this whole mess out." Glynda and the team left, leaving Neo alone in the room to her own devices.

"You think she'll really show up?" Yang couldn't help but wonder. Even if she could see auras, she couldn't read minds, and with people like Neo this difference was critical when it comes to learning her.

"We'll just have to wait and see for ourselves." Blake told her, and the small group split up again, each couple doing their own things. Meanwhile, Glynda returned to her little office, where Ooblek and Qrow were waiting for her.

"So she's awake, I assume." Qrow said silently.

"Yes. For now, she agreed to cooperate with us and come here once she has recovered."

"Really Glynda? You know she'll just run away from the camp as soon as she can if she's anything like that scumbag Roman."

"I have a feeling that's not entirely accurate. This is a test for her. If she really comes here, it means we can put a little trust in her, seeing as she trusts us."

"Well, assuming she actually does show up and decides to stay here, what would we even do with her?" Ooblek couldn't help himself but ponder that question. "A person with a past like hers is bound to draw lots of attention from the students, which in turn could lead to either a positive admiration effect or a very painful betrayal. If we take her in, we gamble on the former, while risking the letter."

"True, but that is a risk we'll just have to account for." Glynda concluded. "Ruby decided to spare her, and seeing her reputation as an angel amongst many of the people here, rejecting Neo might not be a such a wise move. If Ruby insists, many might side with her, and we could risk infighting." Glynda's concern was very much a real one. While Ruby would never abuse her title like that, her kind heartedness could result in some serious conundrums in the camp if she opposes the council's opinion.

"Hmm..." Qrow sank deep into thought. If neo joined up with them, they would gain another potential huntress to help handle the grimm in the area, but on the other hand, having her would only cause troubles down the line if they ever wanted to redecalre Vale as a kingdom. From what they've heard from the traders that would visit them, Vale's status as an independent nation has been revoked by the other kingdoms, due to its inability to sustain any form of government. Of course, unbeknownst to them, Glynda's camp has begun to expand all across Vale, reclaiming the kingdom's grounds. However, before they could call Vale a kingdom again, they had to deal with one, major problem: Ironwood and his army. So far, the only reason he didn't attempt to send his army at them to take back his combat android Penny was bureaucracy, The other kingdoms won't take it well if he sent his troops against a small group of survivors in the ruins. If Vale did come back as a kingdom though, he could find an excuse to start a war with them, all in the name of improving safety by replicating Penny's structure or something, for which he needed her physical body to study. Qrow was pretty sure her father won't just give the general her blueprints, thus leaving Ironwood with the only option of trying to kidnap her. Penny, on the other hand, showed no remorse on leaving Atlas behind, enjoying her time in Vale with her friends and getting to choose her own path in life, even if her body was mechanical. Bringing Neo along would only make them look like they are harboring a known criminal once word gets out, and that would give Ironwood the perfect chance to make up a reason why fighting Vale will benefit the rest of humankind in the end, gaining the support of Mistral's and Vacuo's councils.

"You DO realize that if she joins, we have to postpone our plans to call Vale a kingdom again, right?" He finally asked. Glynda and Oobleck's faces turned grim.

"That IS a downside to this ordeal, yes." Ooblek replied. "But nonetheless, we need to concern ourselves with more short term goals rather than long term ones. Right now, the most important thing to us should be finding any possible shred of others that managed to survive the chaos outside, and bring them here. The more able people we have on board, the easier it will become to repair many of the things in Vale, namely the CCT." Ooblek paused for a moment.

"Neopolitan is no exception."

"I agree with Ooblek, Qrow." Glynda made her decision. "She might be dangerous, but if we turn her down we are no better than the monsters outside."

"We'll just have to wait and see then..." Qrow sighed.

* * *

The day after, Neo finally felt well enough to leave her bed and wander outside. Everything felt new to her, as she could now walk out in the open, no one searching or pursuing her for something, and she could just explore the camp, unhindered. Of course, she remembered that Glynda would probably still need to talk to her, but before she would go to be judged by her and her little council, Neo wanted to see how it was like for her, to be able to look at everyone without having to hide. As she walked around, some people were still very skeptical of her, actively avoiding her path, and she suspected as much. Some, however, especially the children, seemed to welcome her, with many groups of kids inviting her to play with them. It really baffled her as to why they would act like that, until she spotted Ruby playing with some of them, Weiss sitting on the sidelines. It was most likely her influence, with many people seeing Ruby as some sort of special figure in the camp, it was only inevitable that whoever listened to her would accept Neo, seeing as their angel did. Ruby noticed her staring in her direction, and waved her hand, signaling Neo to come to her side, Weiss giving her a death glare. Even if she gave up to trying to kill Ruby, that didn't mean they had to be best buddies right away. Eventually, Neo decided to do approach her and the kids, finding interest in her connections to the youths.

"Good morning Neo!" Ruby called to her after she was close enough.

"Good morning Miss Neo!" Many of the kids called after her. It was almost too funny to see them blindly follow Ruby's words like that, and a smirk began to form on Neo's face.

"Now, why don't you rascals go play somewhere else while Neo and we talk a little, okay?" The children ran off, splitting into many groups, leaving the three alone.

"So, are you going to see Glynda?" Ruby's tone changed drastically. Despite her apperant naiveté and youthful appearance, Ruby could very well turn herself around to become serious and realistic. Neo guessed that's what happens once you live through a small war, and nodded her head. Ruby cheered up. "Great! Come with us, we'll show you to her office. C'mon, Weiss!" She grabbed Weiss' hand and led her to the main hall. "Well, that's where we have to split. Yang is about to start her lesson, and we really don't want to miss THAT." She and Weiss trailed of, and Neo entered the building, quickly finding the office's door and entering, finding Glynda ready to see her, as if she knew Neo was coming.

"Good to see you've decided to come. Please, have a sit." Glynda pointed towards one of the chairs, and Neo let herself fall onto it, waiting for her questioning to begin. Besides Glynda, there were two others: Qrow, whom she already knew, and a green haired adult with nerdy glasses, that Neo wasn't quite sure of his name.

"Bartholomew Oobleck. History teacher, and one of Glynda's second in commands." He raised his hand for a handshake, but Neo quickly made it clear she wasn't interested, and he took it back.

"Well, Neo, let's begin: Why did you attack our students?" This question was critical. If Neo didn't give them a satisfactory answer, there was a very high chance they would kick her out. She gave some consideration to her words, and answered.

"Anger at the world, at myself, at you..." This was as honest as she could get.

"And are you still angry with us now?" Glynda's voice became a little colder.

"No." While this wasn't the whole truth, Neo did have no reason to hate any of them. Right now, she was determined to take revenge to Roman's true killers: The creatures of grimm, and if she had to join forces with those huntsmen, then so be it. That, however, was not an indicator she had to love every minute of it. Merely tolerate.

"And what do you know about Cinder Fall? Any higher forces at work we might not know about?"

"Never said anything. Cinder kept it all to herself." Neo tried to choose as little words as she could think of to express herself.

"I see..." Glynda silenced, and seeing that; Qrow took the helm in her interrogation.

"Well, want to give me any reason not to kill you right here and now? Sure would solve a lot of problem for us..." He tried to threaten her, but Neo knew better, and looked him in the eyes with an evil grin as she answered.

"Ruby." She hit right down the middle, and Qrow gave her an astonished look, seeing as she managed to figure out how much influence his niece had. Having no other cards to play against her, he sat down, defeated and annoyed.

"I think what our partner was trying to say," Ooblek quickly took over. "Is that you are probably well aware of your status as a wanted criminal, at least in Vale. So far, the rest of the kingdoms are not in the know about your condition, but if we were to reactivate the CCT and return the connection with them, you are bound to be found out, and our reputation as a kingdom will suffer some serious damage. How would you then suggest to resolve this issue?" His question was very direct, and Neo knew they expected her to come up with a solution.

"Don't count me. Leave me in the shadows." Neo's answer made sense to her. If they didn't register her as a member of the camp, she could fabricate another persona to be listed under, masking her true identity. She was already used to this sort of jobs in her past, and going undercover wasn't strange of freighting to her.

"That is an option." Glynda considered Neo's offer. "But you do know that if we do this and they still find you, we'll be in even more trouble, yes?"

"They won't." Neo was an expert. She could blend easily into almost any situation thrown at her, and she was sure enough in her abilities that she was convinced it would take a minor miracle to be able to track her down.

"And are we to assume you are that good in the art of camouflage and stealth?" Qrow couldn't help but ask, still showing great distrust towards her.

"I am."

"You got some guts, kid." Qrow had to admire her cockiness. It was actually pretty rare to see someone this sure of themselves recently. "Wait, how old ARE you even?"

Neo refused to answer this one.

"Fair enough." Qrow shrugged and took a closer look, trying to make an educated guess. Obviously, she was older than Ruby or the rest of her team, but nonetheless younger than himself or Glynda. He had a good assumption, but opted not to bring the subject up again seeing Neo's reaction to it before.

"Well..." Glynda straightened her back a little on her chair. "So far, you seem honest enough about your actions, and I would like to believe that you at least recognize the importance to sticking together as a group." She handed Neo her hand. "So, Neopolitan: Will you join our camp?" Qrow and Oobleck looked at her as well, and Neo took a few seconds, before shaking Glynda's hand as well. Glynda made a slight smile. "So it's settled, then. For now, you can keep the room we already gave you when we brought you in. Feel free to walk around, I'll inform the rest of your induction."

Neo left the office, and strolled around the empty camp, most of its residents already in Yang's aura and dust lessons, even many of the kids coming, just to watch. For what it was worth, this momentary peace felt nice to her, and she wished it would last, but alas, soon the lesson would be over, and the crowds of people will resume their daily activities. She noticed that the rabble around the hall building had a path that could lead her to its top, and climbed it all the way, beholding the view from above. It was very pretty to look at, and Neo sat down, as she thought about her next move in the world. Eventually, she felt herself grow tired, and decided to take a small nap on the roof, letting the early evening summer breeze wash over her.

* * *

"...hey..." Neo heard a faint voice, and her eyes opened up slowly.

"HEY!" She jumped in place, only to see Yang came to the same roof as her, and was sitting next to her. The Dust Celica shimmered in the twilight sky.

"Good morning, sleepyhead. Looks like you had a nice nap there, huh?" Yang tried to tease her a bit, but Neo wasn't buying it, and returned to staring at the scenery.

"You really aren't fun, Neo..." Yang shrugged and went to look at the horizon as well.

"You know, Neo? The world is such a beautiful place." Yang's statement caught Neo not ready, and she had no idea how to react to that. Yang, on her side, just continued to talk.

"My right arm bestowed upon me such an amazing gift, you know? Ever since I started seeing auras, I've only discovered how amazing everything could be. The people, the animals, the earth and sky, they are ALL so beautiful in my eyes." Neo just listened, noticing that as Yang talked about the matter, a certain twinkle sparkled in her eyes. She was completely honest and truthful with her, not trying to hide anything.

"But then, you see the grimm. They try to destroy the world. This beauty." Yang's voice turned to anger. "And I just can't forgive that, you know? I just have to do SOMETHING, otherwise I feel that everything will die out and wither." Yang turned to her, and Neo could feel her stare directly at her soul. "Before I trust you, I have to know one thing: Why do YOU fight, Neo?" Neo looked at Yang, and her mind began to return to the day she met Roman.

* * *

It was a cold winter night. She was homeless, her parents just murdered over some petty dispute with a landlord, and she was stranded on the streets, with no place to call home. Just as she was about to croak out and die as a nobody, she saw him. He was just waltzing around the street, seemingly having no care in the world, until he saw her.

"Hey there kiddo. Got a place to be?" He asked. For the first time in years, she felt kindness from someone else. Before she could answer, he pushed her over.

"Well, that's what happens when you lose everything. Feels bad huh? Makes you want to kill them back, huh?" His words triggered her anger, and she nodded eagerly.

"Well, here's an advice from another victim of vengeance to another, kid. One of the only free things you'll ever get in this world." He leaned to her, and whispered. "Kill and steal, but only when necessary." At that moment, Neo made up her mind, and got up, starting to follow him. Roman didn't show much interest in her, only viewing her as a nuisance on his independent lifestyle, but for some reason her let her follow him around, watching him as he did his shady deals and got whatever he wanted.

At some point, a mobster had betrayed Roman, and was about to kill him. She, coming to his aid, almost felt the cold end of a bullet pierce her head, awakening her semblance and allowing her to overcome the fat man and take him out right before Roman's eyes.

"Damn, kid." He got up and brushed his suit. "Where'd ya learn THAT? Wait, let me guess. This was your semblance just now, right?"

She nodded back, and he took a long look at her. She hoped it impressed him enough to convince him she was worth keeping around.

"You know what, kid? You're useful. I could use someone like you around." He came to her and helped her up. "By the way, what's your name anyway? You know what? I don't care. How about you come up with a new one. Right here, right now. Show those that hurt you in the past that you are a new person now!"

She looked at him, hope in her eyes, and uttered the first name that came to her mind.

"Neopolitan."

* * *

In hindsight, Roman mostly kept her around for her semblance. It was quite obvious when she thought about it, but she could still feel no spite towards the man. Even if he feigned kindness towards her, it was more than she could have ever wanted, and now she was sure about her goal. The choices she made after his death were not in one spirit with what he taught her, that much was true, but she could see further than that now: She WILL have her revenge, but on the worthy, not the innocent. She looked at Yang back.

"I fight for myself, and for my mentor." Her words were absolute, and while Yang made a little face hearing her answer, she could feel that the yellow-haired huntress knew she spoke nothing but the truth.

"Well, I guess as long as you are honest with us as much as you are honest with yourself, I'll trust you for now" Yang stopped talking, and the two sat in silence, each having a better understanding of the other's world, as the sun set and the moon rose.


	30. The Darkness Approaches

Yang was sitting for one of her many meditations of the day. Ever since she started teaching the many students of the camp how to actually forge dust, her days have become more and more stressful, having to personally guide each one that didn't quite understand the concept, or she to intervene and stop the crystal he or she ware working with was from exploding. She found herself completely pooped out at the end of each lesson, so she decided to meditate more during the day, letting the sun's warmth imbued her with vitality and life. As she sat, the same vibrant image to the many auras in the camp danced before her eyes, and Yang was enjoying her simple, yet fulfilling respite.

A small patch of darkness came into her view. She ignored it, grimm roaming the area still manifested in her vision as tiny, voided spots of nothing. While she couldn't per se see the grimm, the lack of sight alerted her to their presence, at least when she was surrounded by other humans and faunus. The small gap grew and grew, eventually becoming a hole in her sight. Yang tried to shake it off, at this point not being able to ignore this anomaly, but the darkness kept getting bigger. Soon, everything else was covered, and all she could see was blackness. Yang lost herself inside the infinite void, quickly losing her grasp on her body. She had no idea what it was, but it managed to scare her, even from that far away. She knew it would take it time to get to her, but her own heart shouted at her that whatever this was, this was NOT ready to face it yet. Her mind began to fall, and she hit the floor, returning to her physical body in Vale. She looked around, to see the many auras around her still fine, but beyond the camp, all she saw was nothing, as if the other three kingdoms just ceased to exist. She didn't know what to do, her basic survival instinct telling her to run away from the danger, while her huntresses' mind told her to stay and fight. Yang hurried down from the top of the hall, and entered it, knocking wildly on Glynda's door.

"Yes, yes, who is it?!" Glynda didn't like people banding on her door like that. Yang burst in, sweating with fear.

"Glynda, we have to talk, NOW!" Yang quickly sat in front of her, and Glynda turned her full attention to her. If Yang was acting like this, surly something serious is happening.

"Yang? Is everything alright?"

"Listen, I just saw something coming here. Something BIG?"

"What do you mean by big?"

Yang told her what she saw in her meditation, and how it's now following her into her normal sight. She just had to tell everyone, prepare them as much as she could, for whatever it was that was coming, it was strong. Stronger than she's even seen before, perhaps even more than Cinder.

"And you are SURE that's what you saw? You weren't just extra tired or something else?"

"Please, you have to believe me! When was the last time I didn't see things right?!" Yang's emotional state and the fact that so far, she really wasn't wrong with her aura vision managed to convince Glynda, who quickly started to plan out what to do.

"Okay, I'll believe you. For now, call the rest of your team, Jaune, Ren, Nora and Penny and meat me back here in an hour. I'll go fetch Qrow and Oobleck."

"Got it!" Yang stormed out, and headed to search for the rest of her team.

* * *

Ruby was enjoying a nice day of doing absolutely nothing. She and Weiss decided to spend the day just relaxing, not even going on a grimm killing mission or anything. They slept in till early noon, ate junk food for breakfast, or at least what they could find, even skipped Yang's lesson from today. It was the perfect day for lazing around, and Ruby and Weiss were just laying on a small hill in the camp, looking at the clouds.

"Hey, Weiss, doesn't this cloud kind of looks like a cookie?" Ruby's mouth began to drool a little. She missed the sweat, crumby taste of delicious cookies, but alas, there were none available in the camp, and Ruby swore to rectify that as soon as she could.

"Yeah, I guess it does." Weiss agreed, though it mattered little to her what the cloud actually looked like. Just spending the entire day relaxing with her Ruby made her feel nice. So much so that nothing else seemed to matter to her. She reached out for Ruby's hand, and she held hers back, giving Weiss a warm feeling all over. The two laid there, looking at the sky and counting the many cookies shaped clouds Ruby managed to invent in her mind.

"Ruby! Weiss! Get over here quick!" They heard Yang call them in the distance, and the two got up to see her running towards them, desperation in her eyes.

"Yang? What happened?" Ruby started to get worried. Yang was so calm and soothing lately, and if something actually managed to get the better of her, it was going to be a serious threat to them.

"Just go to Glynda's office! I'll meet you there after I've called Blake, JNR, and Penny!" She ran past them, using her aura sight to locate the rest of her friends.

"Well, Weiss, seems like our break time is over..." Ruby began to tear up a tiny bit, and Weiss started to drag her back to their room.

"Come on. We have no time for self-pity." The two first stopped in their room, to get their weapons just in case. Ruby took Crescent Rose and loaded it with her dust bullets, some of which were even partiality forged by herself. Weiss equipped Myrtenaster and took several extra crystals with her. She learned that always having extra crystals for any case was the very difference between life and death on the battlefield, and she recently started tweaking Myrtenaster's barrel for faster reloading. After gearing up, the two left in a hurry, heading towards Glynda's office.

* * *

Blake was in the middle of lunch when Yang caught her. She finally convinced one of the traders to bring her some tuna the next time he came over, paying a hefty sum of lien for the fish. But now, holding the sacred food in her hands, Blake felt it was all worth it. She moved the fish closer to her mouth, almost taking her first bite, the delicious aroma filling her nostrils.

"Blake come with me!" She felt Yang's crystal arm grab her shoulder, as Yang dragged her out of the small corner she hid in, not wanting anyone to disturb her meal. The tuna dropped down on the little table she set up there, and she jumped up, trying to break free of her girlfriend's hold.

"Yang! What is WRONG with you!" She never saw Yang act like this, and Yang stopped for a second, finally realizing how Blake felt.

"Sorry Blake, but something big is up. I need you to go to Glynda's office ASAP; we'll explain everything there!" Yang ran off, leaving Blake to herself. She wanted to go back and quickly devour the fish, enjoying it as much as she could, but something told her she didn't have the time for that right now. If Yang was that worried, it means it was quite serious. She went and packed the fish for later before heading to the office, Gambol Shroud and Wilt & Blush always on her.

* * *

Team JNR, along with Penny, were training, as usual. Now that Jaune finally understood how to manually activate and deactivate his semblance's equalizing effect, thanks to his newfound resolve to help everyone be equal, he wanted to train himself as much as he could, becoming a better swordsman than ever before. Ren and Nora gladly agreed to help him improve himself so that he could match them, even without the use of his semblance, while Penny watched from the sidelines, cheering for both the combatants at the same time. She would hover from time to time using her new jet legs, and enjoy moving herself through the air, like she had no weight. This time, Nora was fighting Jaune, while Ren judged his movements from the sidelines. Even with her aura and semblance disabled, Nora was a very competent huntress, chaining hammer swings one after the other, while Jaune had to avoid them all, leaving him with little opening to strike back. Meanwhile, Nora on her end, was just having the time of her life swinging away without a care in the world, laughing to herself all the way.

"Jaune, watch your legwork!" Ren's 'encouragements' sometimes felt like plain critique to him.

"Got it!" Jaune redoubled his focus to his legs and tried harder to notice how he physically moved in response to Magnhild's blows. Just as he was finally able to counterattack Nora, she misstepped and left herself open after a very wild and clumsy attack; he suddenly stopped as he and the others heard a voice shout at them from a few feet back. When they looked, they saw it was Yang, who quickly filled them all on the situation. Each of them got up and went to take a short break before going to the emergency meeting, while Penny herself just giggled and flew there directly.

"Must be nice, having legs with freaking jet boosters in them, huh?..." Jaune wondered out loud. While Penny by no means bragged about her robotic features to the others, she didn't hide them in any way anymore, allowing herself to just experience her body the way she wanted. Her days of listening to the general and obeying orders were over, and she felt the desire to show the world her true self, no holding back, which stirred up a hint of jealousy in Jaune and the others.

* * *

Finally, everyone came. Glynda opened the door to team JNR, who arrived last, only to see the rest, including Yang, waiting for them. Each of them took a seat, and Glynda got up, starting to speak.

"Good day everyone. I've called this emergency meeting because earlier today, Yang has reported to me she saw something she was not able to recognize heading towards our camp."

"It's more than that, Glynda." Yang tried to explain herself. "I can still see the people around the camp area just fine, but everything outside is a blank. It really feels like we were disconnected from the rest of Remnant, by whatever is approaching." Yang's voice went down to a whisper. "And the most terrifying thing? I don't know how I can even tell, but this thing feels like a singular entity. All this darkness, from just one being."

Before anyone else could speak, the door opened again. Neo casually entered the office, bringing an extra chair with her, and sat with the rest of the group.

"And who the hell invited YOU?!" Weiss growled at her. The last thing she needed was another attempted murder happening, and with Ruby sitting so close to her, Weiss crept her hand to Myrtenaster's hilt.

"I'm also a part of this." Neo replied in one, short breath. When she noticed they were all gathering, she figured it could be something important, so naturally she believed herself entitled to listen in on it as well. As someone designated to the front lines of grimm combat, she felt that she deserved to know as much as anyone else.

They all stared at her, until Glynda finally got a hold of herself.

"Well, let's just let her join. If anything, she's an extra pair of hands if nothing else." Neo shrugged, and Glynda quickly filled her on the purpose of the meeting.

"So, Yang, so you have an estimation of how much time it would take that thing to get here?"

Yang closed her eyes, and concentrated on her aura vision. "I'd say about a month, but it's an educated guess, at best. The overwhelmingness of it all makes it hard to pinpoint all the finer details, and it doesn't help I'm looking at literally the black space in between what I'm ACTUALLY supposed to see."

"So we have the element of time on our side, at least briefly." Glynda turned to her council members. "So? Any suggestions on a course of action?"

"We can't risk the students fighting that." Qrow started. "For all we know, this, THING, could be even stronger than Cinder, and none of them are even remotely ready for this. The best they could do is fend off minor and young grimm."

"I agree." Ooblek voiced himself. "We should come up with an evacuation plan, just in case. We can't risk this camp falling, Glynda. This is a new chance for Vale to return, and if we let it fall, this kingdom, and humanity with it, will die out."

"Agreed. Ooblek, I leave the evacuation plan for you. If you need my help, tell my right away." Glynda's ability to bend objects and reconstruct them could be very useful, especially when it came to building a makeshift shelter.

"Vey well." Ooblek got up and left the office, going to try and make a plan B in case everything goes wrong.

"Anyway," Glynda returned to their meeting, "How do we deal with this problem first?"

They all sat in silence, not sure what to say, until Ruby finally got up.

"We fight."

"Ruby no!" Yang tried to pull her down. "You have no idea how terrifying this thing is. I don't think any of us even stands a chance!"

"Alone, perhaps." Ruby turned to the group. "But we have three things that that being can't account for: How many there are of us, how much we can improve ourselves until it gets here, and Jaune's semblance."

Jaune wasn't really listening, just sort of zoning out in his chair, until he heard Ruby say his name. "Come again?"

"Jaune, you semblance managed to shut down Cinder Fall!" Ruby exclaimed. "Who knows how much you do with your semblance's power! If we use it to dismantle the dark being at the very start, having it fight some of us until it tires itself out, we can all attack it together while it has to rest while you disable your aura!" Ruby's plan was actually kind of brilliant, having she already saw something similar in the battle against Cinder. If Jaune's semblance would turn off after he passes out or something, imagine how devastating he could he if he had control over where and when he shuts it off, giving his team a great strategically advantage. "Of course, if we want any of this to work, we have to train ourselves to the bone, both aura-wise and physically."

"That's... A really good plan, Ruby." Glynda commanded her. Ruby decided, in between her days of doing nothing and goofing around, to study the art of tactical thinking and the many strategies that came up throughout history. If she ever wanted to be a successful huntress and team leader, she had to understand the battlefield like the back of her hand, and recognize every possibility so that in the moment of truth, she will be as prepared as she can. This was a perfect opportunity for her to showcase how much she's learned so far, and she was a little proud of herself.

"Okay, Yang. I assume you'll take a break from your lessons for a while. We need you to train up and become as strong as you possibility can until it gets here. The same applies to all of you." She scanned her eyes over the room, including Neo. "I need you at your peak condition when the moment of truth arrives, do please do your best to prepare yourselves as much as you can."

"Right!" Each of them left the room, Penny flying out the window, and went to prepare themselves for the coming battle.

* * *

The following weeks reminded Yang of her days in Beacon, sans the lessons themselves: She would wake up quickly, eat a light meal, and go train, only stopping here and there to rest. She sparred with many of her friends, had to endure Jaune and his oppression, during which she discovered her Dust Celica was actually freaking hard to even lift when her aura was shut down, leaving her with a regular-like arm at best, and went out to more grimm exterminations, racking up as much experience as she could. With time, each of her team got stronger, as the impending being of darkness came closer and closer.

Yang was sparring with her sister this time, wanting to try herself against the fabled silver eyes. Ruby let her aura flow, and her eyes glowed white, while Yang's Blaze Celica emerged through her left arm, and she got ready to fight. Ruby dashed at her, scythe at the ready, and Yang caught it head on with her bare hands, trying to force Crescent Rose out of Ruby's hand. Ruby noticed this, and quickly turned the scythe's end towards Yang, pushing the trigger. With her eyes as they were now, Ruby's very thoughts sped up: Her reaction time shortened down to mere microseconds, and her field of vision widened, allowing her to see more of the area around her. She could increase the range, if she wanted, but that would cost her precious aura on the battlefield. Yang quickly got out of the way, forced to let go of Ruby's weapon, and went ahead for another strike, delivering a series of punches at her sister, and the two went on, attacking almost in turn, one after another.

"Wow Ruby. Those eyes really do make a giant difference."

"Thanks." Ruby shifted her stance, and came from above, trying to perform a helm split on Yang, who caught the weapon midair and spun it on her Dust Celica, sending Ruby away. Yang gave her back her weapon, and the two decided it was enough for now.

"Good job, Ruby. Okay, who's next?!" The two sisters sat on the sideline and watched the fights unfold, both too tired to go on for now. They all advanced greatly over the course of time, and Yang started to feel like they might even stand a chance. She took a quick look, and while the darkness was indeed a lot closer, Yang felt like it still needed more time to get to them. _All the better, I guess._ She thought to herself and went on to help the others with her aura reading ability, giving them a more in-depth analysis about how their auras moved while they fought each other. This was one of Yang's most important roles in the group, besides being one of the huntresses the camp had to spare: Using her power, Yang could judge how one's aura moved in combat, and coupled with the lessons she gave everyone about how to become aware of those vibrations, she could direct their bodies while they sparred, helping each of the larger group grow more efficient with their movements of the battleground. Weiss was just done fighting Neo, and the two went to her, wanting to hear her opinion. Neo learned quite fast that Yang was way more powerful than she initially thought, and started to pay a bit of respect for her and her dust arm.

"Okay Weiss. As usual, your aura and body and are in sync, but you are still limiting it from naturally guiding your body." Yang's voice became a bit worried. "I'm telling you, if you let it flow, you'll find that it can make your weapon much, much stronger, especially with your summoning armor."

"I prefer to do this my own way." Weiss simply turned down her offer.

"As for you Neo, you definitely seem to have a basic grasp of how you're aura is moving, but you have a ways to go. For now, I recommend you try and put less emphasis on your hand movements, and focus more on your feet. Even with your semblance, that's your weak spot, as far as I can tell." Neo nodded. While she infiltrated the camp a few weeks prior to her fight with Ruby, she eavesdropped to Yang's lessons, learning what she could. Other than that, Yang was right, and Neo did know about this problem in her fighting stance. It didn't take a huge amount of strength to knock her off her feet, and Neo went to the training courtyard nearby, where they stationed various grimm shaped dolls, to practice her stance and movement.

After some more training and sparring, Glynda showed up, with Ooblek and Qrow by her side, and the group turned to see what they wanted.

"Can everyone please sit down over there? I have some urgent business to talk to your about."

They all sat around her, and Glynda began.

"So far, I want to congratulate each of you for your hard work and improvement." She looked at each of them. "And while I wish I could just let you train, we a very urgent mission that requires immediate attention."

"What is it?" Ruby was curious.

"As you know, I was put in charge of creating an evacuation plan, in case this being ends up destroying the camp." Ooblek explained. "And while searching for a relatively safe place to move everyone to, I made a terrible discovery: The grimm are rising in numbers again, most likely linked to the approaching entity."

The group's faces fell a bit. More grimm meant bad news, that much was certain.

"I did, however, figure out where they are coming from, and I believe that with Ruby's eyes, we can purify the area there, making the place habitable again to us."

"So, where is it?" Yang was king of curious.

"Beacon Academy." Ooblek said and fell silent, the others following suit.

"Are you SURE this is the best move? If we go now, we risk that thing coming here and killing everyone while we are away." Blake was obviously not on board. She wanted to protect them, and going away on a cleansing mission to the academy's ruins seemed like a terrible plan for her. "We need to prioritize the people that are already here, first, then go to other places."

"I know how it sounds, but this mission is crucial. We can't leave the grimm in that area the way they are now, their numbers have gone out of control." Oobleck's words were final. Yang looked towards the horizon, and thought about what they had to do.

If they wanted everyone to survive, they had to retake Beacon.


	31. The Purification of Beacon

The small group of huntsmen and huntresses made their way towards the ruins of Beacon academy. Having no way to fly there directly, they instead had to take the long road to the former academy grounds on foot, which took them several days. With each passing night, Yang grew more and more tense, the dark presence that loomed over them only growing bigger and more instance. At last, they saw Beacon in the horizon, as the sun started to descend, it's light touching the edges of the world.

"Come on, guys. We have to get there as soon as possible." Yang's voice was irritated and scared. At that point, she could no longer see even the auras in the camp, only being comforted by those of her companions, walking besides her. She had grown so dependent on the vibrant colors and images that flashed through her mind, that now without them she felt so alone, and tried to push her friends to get it over with so they could go back.

"I know how you feel, Yang, but we mustn't do this mission hastily." Ren tried to calm her down and rationalize things. "Remember that the entire camp's survival depends on us being successful in eliminating the grimm roaming the school. If we can purify it and move everyone there, we'll have easy access to the CCT, and finally have a chance at repairing it." His conclusions were rock solid, but none of it mattered to Yang. In her mind, everything was disappearing, and she was going blind.

"Shhh, it's okay." Blake pulled her close to a tight hug, letting Yang feel her aura as much as she could. "I'm here. I'll always be here for you, so don't worry, okay?" Yang let her head fall into Blake's chest, and she let Blake's heartbeat pulse through her. She could feel Blake's soul, loud and clear, even through all the noise outside. Her small panic attack subsided, and Yang decided to stay close to Blake for a while, feeling her warmth.

"Thank you Blakey." Yang tried to put on a brave face, but her fear was much greater than she wanted to show.

When they arrived at the school's courtyard, the moon already shining high above them. Its broken part hidden, its full glory shone through the sky, its light dimming out the stars around it. If they ever wanted to move during the night, the complete moon was the perfect time for that, its light strong enough to show them their surroundings fully. Yang looked around, her night vision improved thanks to her dust enchantments, as she, Blake, and Penny with her optical sensors served to scout the area, looking for various spots from which grimm emerged. The plan was relatively simple: While the three of them scanned for spawning grounds, the entire group will move with Ruby to each spot, and using her silver eyes to purify and cleanse the area. Yang and Blake walked ahead of the group, hand in hand, while Penny hovered just above them, giving the team a bird's eye view of their surroundings.

"Beowulf pack, 7 o'clock!" Penny pointed, and soon enough a group of grimm charged at them, claws unsheathed. They figured the grimm weren't going to go down without retaliation, and they prepared for the first of what would become many fights. First one to respond was Weiss, blasting the grimm with ice shots out of Myrtenaster. While she did find a bit of satisfaction from wearing her summoned armor, Weiss knew such lesser grimm weren't worth the aura it cost her to don it, even for such short periods of time. Each of them geared up after her, as the grimm kept on coming. They started to advance through the abandoned halls, killing as many grimm as they could, while sealing their siring points. Ruby led most of the fights, her silver eyes shining as bright as the moon above them, as each grimm they encountered dissipated into blackness.

They finally got outside to the amphitheater, where combat class would take place, a hour into their journey into Beacon. At this point, they had already managed to purify a few places, namely the cafeteria, the left wing's halls, and one of the dormitories. They had once again a clear vantage point of the moon, and decided to take a short break before going on with their quest.

"Man, killing grimm all night long sure can tire you out." Nora sat down, and grabbed a bottle of water, given to her and the others by Glynda for the road, amongst many others. She opened it up, emptying its contents into her stomach in one go, and packed it again, saving the bottle itself for later.

"Just be careful not to become too sleepy." Jaune sat next to her. "We still have a long way to go." By now, he had not quite caught up with them physically, only matching Neo when his semblance was on. Neo was never physically strong, using her semblance and aura to empower herself, like many others on Remnant. She was quick, however, which put Jaune at a great disadvantage when sparring with her.

"Don't worry." Nora returned a silly smile. "I'm not THAT tired."

"Just don't say we didn't warn you." Ren stated, and the rest sat to eat something, Penny keeping watch. After a short minute of some food, she suddenly got up and started to make an alarm sound.

"A nevermore is getting close to us, this one is a big one! Everyone, get ready!" She called, and started to generate some swords to fight with, hovering around her gracefully. Just as Penny predicted, a giant, black bird with a bony mask started to show itself, flying above their heads, closer and closer. This time, Yang took quick action, and grinded some red dust on her Dust Celica, the arm absorbing the dust and a strand of redness formed on it. She concentrated her aura into her arm and clutched her fist, as she felt the instance heat from inside her hand. She punched in the grimm direction, and the energy burst, forming a small fireball aimed at the monster. The fight with Cinder taught her many things, this as a possibility was one of them. At last, she regained her long range capability, and she couldn't be happier for it. The fireball hit the nevermore directly, and while not killing the grimm outright, it did leave it hurt, and burning. The others joined in the assault, unleashing their firepower at the bird, until it finally dropped dead, and crashed a few meters away from them.

"How about THEM apples, huh?" Yang felt some of her self confidence return with her ability to shoot again. She could still feel the blackness all around her, but she managed to push it aside for now, putting her mission and friends first. Whatever it was, Yang would face it what the time would come.

"Great job, Yang!" Blake came to her and closed in, giving her a kiss. It was rare that Blake would take the initiative, but Yang didn't complain, instead just letting her girlfriend reward her for her achievement. After a few seconds, the finally broke the kiss, and Blake stared into her eyes. Yang could see it now, clearer than ever: Even if she couldn't see anyone, she was never alone.

"Feeling better?" Blake asked her, seeing her spirits were lifted.

"Uh-huh. Let's go, Blakely. We've got a camp to save!" Yang called and charged on, her soul ignited by her feelings of love. They continued to tour the school, killing grimm and purifying areas, until they reached the library, its large door closed up.

"Don't worry, I got this!" Yang pulled her hand back and delivered a punch to the door, blowing it away. She always wanted to punch or kick the library doors like a badass, even without a plain reason, just because the librarian telling her she couldn't make any noise used to annoy her. The carefully entered the library, and for Blake's relief, most books seemed to be intact, still in their shelves, and while some of the corridors were either toppled or destroyed, some books are better than no books.

In the center of the library, a large pool of darkness lurked, forming what looked like an egg of pure darkness. As they approached it to investigate, all of them could feel its sheer power running down their spine. Before any of them could even react to anything, the dark egg started to crack, shattering into many pieces.

"Look out!" Ruby called and they scattered, avoiding the many pieces that flew away. In the middle of the room, what stood before them shook them all: A baby grimm dragon. Though still a hatchling, the young grimm was brimming with power, and it stretched, nearly thrice as big as any of them. The dragon roared, as other grimm started to surround them.

"We mustn't let them reach it! If they do, it will only grow stronger!" Yang called, and turned to Ruby, who let the mission, seeing what she wanted to do.

"Okay. Penny, me, Weiss, Nora and Ren focus on the grimm outside! The rest of you fight the dragon directly! Jaune, don't use Equalizer unless our lives depend on it!"

"Got it!" Each of them went towards their designated battle, and the fight ensued. Ruby took into consideration each of her large team's fighting style, assigning those with better crowd control skills to the grimm mob. She and Weiss dashed on, Weiss summoning her armor, and Ruby activating her silver eyes. Though the grimm weren't powerful in raw terms, but they were many, much more then she could possibly imagine, and it would take a while to finish them all off. She moved in complete unison with Weiss, their hand movements matching in speed, while eviscerating and decimating the hordes that came at them.

"Weiss! Behind you!" Ruby called and dashed against her, splitting an ursa in two.

"Same!" Weiss replied and stabbed an entire raw of beowulves, one after another. The fight went on, and they were getting exhausted. They had to finish this quick, before Ruby would run out of aura, or worse. A deathstalker slithered towards the two, only to be stopped by Nora and Magnhild. She hit it straight on its head, breaking the bone mask and killing the scorpion instantly, before blasting herself off towards another pack of grimm next to her. Ren, on the other hand, jumped and danced around the battlefield, linking shots and slashes from StormFlower flawlessly, taking down many of them. While Nora and Ren weren't specifically the crowd control type, each of them did have their way of moving around the battlefield quickly, either by running and jumping or straight up launching yourself off of your own attacks. Penny, on her end, didn't need any assistance fighting her share of the grimm. She simply twitched her fingers, her swords cutting through the grimm like butter, while here and there sending some of them at the dragon hatchling, assisting the group fighting it.

* * *

First off, Yang jumped at the beast directly, attempting to give the beast a skull shattering punch first, though it simply blocked her with its wing, too young to fly with it anyway.

"You're a smart little bastard aren't you..." Yang grimaced at the grimm. Even though it only emerged moments ago, the dragon was already way smarter than the average grimm of its age, showing complete awareness of its own body's capabilities and limits, utilizing both to their maximum. The dragon charged at her with its mouth, and Jaune stepped between the two, jamming his sheild in the dragon's jaw. Penny saw this, and sent two blades at it, slashing its back, and causing the grimm and shriek. It struggled, spat the shield out, and prepared to unleash a breath of pure miasma, seeing as it was too young to sire grimm just yet. The breath came out, covering the group in a dark shroud, and Yang used her aura vision to locate her friends, using their aura's locations to pinpoint the dragon's, she shot a fireball at it, hitting its face and stopping the onslaught of fog. The fog slowly dispersed, and it came at them with a flurry of bites and claws, this time Neo proving the most efficient. She danced around it, avoiding every attack, while jamming her umbrella at it whenever she could, raking up damage a bit at a time. Yang, Blake and Jaune joined her, pushing on at the dragon until eventually, they managed to stagger it, and it fell down. It wasn't dead quite yet.

"The dragon is down! Now's our chance!" Yang called to the rest and they started to repeatedly attack it, doing as much harm as they could. Ruby and her team heard the call, and sent their help as much as they could, with Nora and Ren outright leaving the front lines to kill the dragon as fast as possible, even Penny diverting more blades and energy shots to it. Ruby waited until the dragon was on its last straws, and jumped back as well, her eyes glowing brighter and brighter. With one graceful movement, she beheaded the dragon, and it fell down, lifeless and quickly decaying. The library cleansed, it was only a matter of routing up the rest of the grimm, and few minutes later, they were done, the halls standing in the silence of night.

"Hmm..." Blake went over to one of the shelves, and picked up one of the books. She skimmed it, and looked back at the rest.

"I've been to this library almost every day when I was here as a student, yet for all my reading, I've never even heard of such dragon grimm." She closed the book in her hand and put it back. "Do none of you find this odd? We've been fighting grimm as a species for as far as we can remember, yet we have no documentation of these types of grimm even existing."

"You have a point." Jaune replied half paying attention. "But, to be honest, I don't think I've even actually gave it any thought. Have you?" He looked and Ren and Nora, both waving their heads.

"Just a second." Penny quickly scanned her entire database. Aside from the dragon's emergence a year ago, none of the databases installed in her memory banks had any mention of this, and her father supposedly gave her as much information as he could put his hands on, and considering he was an elite scientist in the military, that's saying a lot. "Huh. I have nothing on this either." She said finally, and the rest fell silent.

"This isn't the first time this happened." Yang said. "Look at me. If it weren't for this one, small book I happened to find in my house, my plan to create a dust arm might have taken years to make, perhaps even failing completely." She paused and pondered to herself about everything that's happened to her ever since the Dust Celica and Blaze Celica became a part of her life.

"It's like we weren't MEANT to know any of this." She finally concluded.

None of them had anything to say. The mystery only deepened with every answer they seem to find, but none of them had any time for this right now.

"In any case, we can return to this later, once we're done with the mission." Weiss said quickly and turned to Yang, implying she should go back to scan for more patches of darkness. Even if this was the biggest one, there still could be more.

"Anyway, the books here are still in fine condition. We need to be careful, there might be some information here still useful to us down the road." Blake added one last thought before they left, to go on and search for more places from which the grimm spawned. From there, things went a lot more smoothly, none of the grimm the faced even came close to that last battle.

* * *

At last, they reached the last spot: The top of the ruined CCT. The tower was circled by flying grimm at all times, and they had to climb up the ruined tower in order to reach the top, the elevator bent and completely destroyed. They reached the top, and the first thing they had to do was handle the hosts of grimm coming at them. These nevermores and griffons were a lot bigger and grown, forcing Ruby and her team to go airborne if they wanted to be able to hit any of them, the grimm evading their shots with ease. Nora and Yang threw the rest into the air, and soon enough, each of them landed on the grimm, cutting of stabbing them until they died, before jumping to the next. After finishing them all off, they regrouped back at the top of the tower, and Ruby finally purified the last spot. It was official: Beacon was once again free of the grimm's reign, and they could now settle there. Having the school as their base of operation would benefit them greatly, its geographical location adding a great deal to its status as a possible safe haven.

"Okay, I think that's it!" Ruby said, and let herself lie down looking up. The moon was right above them, and she got entranced by its completeness. It was not common for the moon to be both full and its broken side hidden away, so Ruby took this moment to relax and enjoy the beautiful night sky. The rest soon joined her, seeing as no grimm were going to show up anytime soon, and the group took a well deserved break from all the mayhem.

"Wait, what's this?..." Jaune saw something twinkle in the moonlight, and he was intrigued by it, going to check what it was. After moving some rabble covering the object, he came to pick it up, before falling back in shock, his mouth gaping open as his discovery.

"Jaune?" Ruby saw her friend in distress and went to see what has happened, and his face turned sad and grimm as she noticed what he discovered.

A small, gold tiara, slightly twisted and bent.

"Jaune..." Ruby put her hand on his shoulder. Up until now, Jaune didn't speak much of Pyrrha, showing signs of mental repression and denial. Now, reality laid bare before him, and all he could do was stare it in the face, no matter how much it hurt him. "You want to talk?"

"Did you know what happened before she left?" Jaune started, his face shifting into anger. "The last thing Pyrrha did, before going off to her death?"

The group stared at him, some already speculating at his answer.

"She kissed me!" He shouted, his semblance starting to manifest without his consent. "She kissed me, for the first time in my life someone showed genuine affection to me, and then she left, only to die in a battle she stood no chance in." His voice grew silent and cold. "If only I was there. If only I had my semblance, then none of this would happen." His anger at the world only grew. Pyrrha could take Cinder on when it came to raw skill, he just knew it. It was the unfair conditions of the maiden's powers that tipped it in Cinder's favor, not even giving Pyrrha a hope of defeating her. "Now she's dead, and for what?! So that others could look at her as martyr, saying she died to protect us all? Well she didn't! Nothing changed, and things are still going to shit!"

"Jaune calm down!" Nora slapped him, and he stopped only to see her tear up. "She loved you, okay?! For longer than you think! You were just to thickheaded not to notice!"

"So it's MY fault?!"

"NO!" Nora couldn't take it anymore. Of all people, Pyrrha would confide in her more than anyone, even Ren. Nora was amongst the few that knew how she felt. "But you can't let that grief take you over like it did to me!" The group turned to her, having a hard time digesting her words.

"Ever since Pyrrha died, I tried to live like nothing changed. I thought that I kept my regular, happy-go-lucky self, things would turn out okay." Her tears flowed harder. "But I still feel it! The same horrible sense of guilt I felt when I first heard about it! It just won't go away!" She fell on her knees, and started to cry wildly, and Ren came over to her, sitting next to her. He too, was distraught by seeing her last remaining part, but unlike the others, his pain only caused him to retreat inward. Ren couldn't say anything, even if he wanted, and JNR just let their emotion take over, each grieving in his or her own way. Yang looked, and saw their auras flailing around, looking for _something._ Something she couldn't quite put her finger on. As she looked at them, the encroaching blackness only growing closer with every passing minute, her eyes gazed at Pyrrha's tiara, only to find something very interesting: A large chunk of her aura persisted within the headgear. She picked it up, cleaned it a little, and let the aura within it flow into her.

"What are you doing?" Jaune asked angrily as she put the crown back on the floor, and touched the back of his head with the Dust Celica. All of a sudden, Jaune could feel Pyrrha's presence wash over him, and his face shifted back to its natural state.

"My healing ability works by channeling by own aura into someone else." Yang tried to explain. "When I looked at her tiara, I could see that Pyrrha somehow managed to store a large part of herself within it. All I had to do was let her inside of me, then channel that into you, like I would with mine." She did the same for Nora and Ren, both of them soothing down as well. "I don't know if any of her consciousness survived, and regardless, she's in there, at least in some shape or form."

Jaune quickly took the crown and tied it to his belt. "Thank you, Yang."

"Don't mention it." She gave him a smile. "Now, she should probably get out of here. The darkness is a lot closer than before, and we need to get everyone moving as fast as we can."

As they climbed down, Yang's vision only turned darker and darker, now dimming even faster than before. As soon as Blake noticed that, she cuddled close to Yang, guiding her steps towards the entrance to Beacon. Yang's thoughts ran through her head. _None of this makes sense! Why is it so close?! We're not even near the camp!_ That last part made her stop dead in her tracks.

"This thing isn't after the camp." She said horrified.

"What? But that makes no sense." Weiss interjected. "What you said was that it came towards there."

"What I said was that I SAW it coming." Yang corrected her. At first, she couldn't differentiate the two, seeing as she was in the middle of the camp when she first noticed it. But now, being far away from the other humans and faunus with the same feeling persisting, Yang was convinced that whatever it was, it was NOT going after the children or Glynda's huntsmen.

"Than what IS it after?!" Weiss had just about enough of this nonsense. Yang looked at her, as her face turned white with fear of her realization.

"It's coming after us."

None of them had any idea what to do. If Yang was right, and she most likely were, they had little time before the mysterious cloud of darkness she keeps on seeing will be upon them. Ruby, sensing her team becoming undone, stood up on one of the rocks, and turned to her team.

"Listen up! This thing won't go away, and going back to the camp is just too dangerous, which why I'll be staying here, waiting for it, and while we fight, the rest of you go back and call for help!"

"I won't let you!" Yang and Weiss called simultaneously. "I you're staying behind to fight it, then I'll stay, too!" Each of them called.

"I'll stay as well." Blake made up her mind. "These children are helpless against this thing. We have to protect them, even if it means we might die here!" She let her bravery take her over.

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered on, and morphed Crescent Rose into its sycthe form, raising it into the air against the moon. "We can't let them fall! For Remnant!"

"For Remnant!" The rest followed, and soon, all of them sans Neo were preparing for a showdown. Neo, not wanting to waste her life there, decided she would be the one to go back and call for help.

"I'll go with her." Penny decided. "If you want this help to actually be here whitin a reasonable timeframe, you need Neo to get back to the camp as soon as possible. I'll take her."

"Very well Penny." Ruby gave her an accepting look and the two went off, vanishing into the darkness in Yang's eyes.

They all waited in the silence before the storm. Tension was high, and so far only Yang could tell how close it was. As time passed, the darkness became more and more opaque, so much so that even the rest of them could see it without the need for an aura sight.

"Here it comes!" Ruby tightened herself as the clouds concentrated in one spot, forming a crack in reality in front of them.

_BANG!_

The rift opened, and a being stepped forth, still enshrouded by the darkness. They waited for the cloud to disappear, until finally they could make out the details of the mysterious being. The all stood silently, some in awe, some in shock, until Yang finally managed to utter a single word.

"Mom?"


	32. Quoth the Raven: Nevermore

"Mom?"

Yang couldn't think of anything else. Her mother, Raven Branwen, was standing before her, surrounded by dark. To her friends, she would seem like a normal, if not intimidating human: Tall, long, black hair, a black and red kimono, a large ōdachi made of a dust blade with a cycling sheath to boot, and a detailed grimm mask, beneath which two red, burning eyes glared at the group. But to Yang, an entirely different picture unfolded before her eyes: Now, that the cloud of darkness was so close to her, she felt herself _inside_ it. Besides the auras of her friends, everything a few meters away from Raven was a complete black. Raven herself, however, presented an entirely different enigma to her: She felt an aura, but no soul, which, as far as she knew, was impossible. Auras were, in definition, the manifestation of one's soul as energy, and Yang knew this better than anyone, and yet, she could feel one existed without the other. As she looked, she noticed tiny, fragmented pieces of energy flow from all around her into Raven's body, imitating an aura within her. What she was was unnatural, and above that, horrifying. She had no idea what happened to her mother, but she had a feeling she was going to find out soon.

"Wait, mom?" Blake couldn't believe her eyes. Yang told her before, on the fact that Raven left her when she was born, and that Yang always wanted to meet her, talk to her, and know just who her mother IS. Blake felt Yang's heart split in half, as she understood that they had to do next. "Don't worry Yang. I'm sure we'll be able to save her." She tried to encourage her girlfriend, and for a moment, it seemed to work, with Yang summoning her Blaze Celica, and raising both her arms, taking her battle stance.

Before any of them could react, Raven Vanished. A mere second later, she appeared behind them, and all of a sudden, Jaune collapsed. _She must have been watching us from afar somehow. Damn!_ Ruby thought. Losing Jaune this quick just cost them one of their most powerful trump cards. "Nora, Ren! Take him out of here! We'll handle this!" The two didn't respond, only taking their friend and carrying him away to safety. Raven didn't even appear to care, only turning to team RWBY, and redrawing her sword, the sheath spinning until it hit a green blade, and it extended, revealing its full might. Raven vanished again, and this time, she aimed for Ruby. Before she could hit, Weiss intercepted, already being on high alert in case Ruby was her main target. Her armor snapped on, and she managed to negate the attack, but the damage was done, and Weiss could feel it took a huge portion of her aura to sustain that attack. Nonetheless, she readied herself, as the rest of her team prepared for what's to come, Ruby's eyes glowing white and Blake starting to glitch, copies of herself appearing and disappearing faster than she could control them, giving her the appearance of several Blakes at once, intertwining and phasing through each other. Raven came again, but this time, a clone shoved her from the side, while Blake herself jumped and spun, slashing at Raven's head. The attack hit, but Raven did not seem to care, and just went on, switching blades again, and going after Blake, intending to finish the faunus off for good. Blake prepared Gambol Shroud, and just as Raven came at her, she tried to parry her, only to be knocked over by Raven's sheer power. Yang jumped, shooting a fireball, and Raven dashed back, dodging it and quickly changing direction and going towards Blake again, who was still trying to get back on her feet. Ruby hastily got between the two, and unleashed the wrath of her silver eyes on Raven, only for it to knock her back a couple meters. Weiss and Ruby went on the offensive, chaining elemental blasts and sniper shots at Raven, who simply dodged the two at the same time, and before long, retaliated with an overhead strike. Before she could slash with her sword, however, Yang caught the blade with the Dust Celica, and clutched her hand as tight as she could. When she last did this with Wilt, she could only halt it in her hand, but now she was much stronger, and the blade shattered, half of it falling on the ground. The former huntress just pressed a small button on her hilt, ejecting the broken dust, and inserted the hilt back into her sheath, pulling another blade out. This gave Ruby and Weiss enough time to get out of her range, while Blake finally got up, and retook her stance, her reflections reappearing all around her.

"Mom please!" Yang shouted, but Raven did not listen. Instead, she turned towards her daughter, and dashed with her sword pointed at her. Yang had little time to react, and tried to catch the blade again. Raven was faster, and moved her blade out of the day, slashing Yang directly. Yang could feel the pain. It was immeasurable, nothing else she ever experienced even came close to this. It felt like her mother wasn't just attacking her body. She was hurting her SOUL.

Yang staggered up, and her eyes started to glow red, her hair turning golden and bright. She rarely had to resort to her semblance, but it would seem she had no choice anymore. She came at her mother, fists faster than the naked eye could observe, and Raven got locked into dodging Yang's assault. Ruby noticed this, and she, Weiss and Blake came to their team member's aid, attacking Raven from all directions. Whenever Raven tried to react, Blake would create a clone to grab her blade, at least turning it away, making sure she couldn't strike back.

"ENOUGH!" Raven called out all of a sudden, and she emitted a pulse of pure darkness, sending them all away. A visible aura of blackness started to form around her, and each of them looked at her with horror, expect Weiss, who kept her stoic face on.

"Mom?" Yang tried to call out to her again, but to no avail. She could feel the rage building inside her, and before she knew it, Yang was consumed by anger. The peacefulness she exhibited so far was all but gone, replaced with an urge to either stop her mother, or kill her. The Dust Celica, as if recognizing her grim intent, started to shift and morph, the Blaze Celica following suit, as each turned from a human looking hand into something out of a horror book, the fingers expanding into claws, and the whole crystal itself becoming more rigid and sharp. Yang came at her mother with a myriad of slashes and blows, moving faster than before, and each time Raven tried to cut one of her hands off, the crystal would harden even more, shattering the blade hitting it on contact, forcing Raven to switch to another. Yang's rage spiraled out of control, and she could barely see anything else besides her mother's would be aura, and how with each strike she tore another part of it away. Raven was weakening, and Yang wasn't going to stop until she made her mother stop. She managed to knock Raven off her feet, and she fell to the floor. Yang positioned herself on top of her, and slammed her fist at her mother's mask, breaking it apart, only to finally see her face, which made Yang freeze in place. Everything she's done so far suddenly felt so unreal and so bizarre to her, and she could feel her mind unraveling at the absurdity of it all. Raven took the chance to push Yang off of her, and quickly got up, pointing the tip of her sword at Yang's face. Ruby got between the two, and pushed Raven's sword out of the way with Crescent Rose.

"Raven stop!" Ruby knew that Yang and her weren't fully related, only sharing a father, with Raven not really having anything to do with her. But what Ruby did know was how Yang just reacted to her mother trying to kill her, and she was worried more than anything else. "Just why! Why are you doing this?!"

Raven returned to her silence, and attacked Ruby, who matched her speed with her semblance, the two vanishing and clashing all over the place. Yang saw how much Ruby was willing to risk herself for her well-being, which only served to make her more furious at her mother. Yang didn't care anymore about finding her, or getting some information out of her. The only thing she had in her eyes was pure, burning hatred. She got up and came to try and finish Raven for good, only to be stopped by Blake, who held her hand with all her strength.

"Yang please, calm down." She pulled Yang close. Yang could feel herself cooling down, and after a short few seconds, she was back. Her anger was still there, but this time Yang managed to find her center and focus. She channeled the immense energy that coursed through her, and her arms began to glow even harder, as she felt herself almost explode with power, all that from a single attack from Raven. She quickly rushed towards Weiss, giving her and Blake as much as she could, returning the two to fighting condition as well. They joined Ruby, and once again, all four cornered Raven together, pushing her to the edge. Raven was starting to tire out, Yang's outrage from earlier draining much of her strength, so much so that even the aura channeled into her from the dark cloud around them wasn't enough to recuperate her in time. The team managed to drive her to the edge, and Yang could see that she was about to do something she was going to regret.

The dark aura around her intensified, and Raven began to hover above the ground, power overflowing out of her. She raised her weapon, and a black bolt of lightning came out of nowhere, and hit the blade, charging it with raw power. Raven dashed at Yang, intending to cut her in half, but Blake and her clones stopped her in place, as she killed dozens of clones before even reaching the real Blake and Yang. Blake was ready, and stabbed at Raven's stomach, making her fall back. For a moment, they thought they had won, that the battle was over, and for how painful it was, at least Raven could now rest in peace.

Their hopes did not live long.

Raven bellowed in pain, as the darkness etched itself into her stab wound, closing it artificially and forming a solid black scar all across her abdomen. Whatever it was that surrounded her, it did all it can to keep her alive, for reasons none of them could fathom. Raven stopped twitching in pain shortly after, and resumed her stance. She couldn't fail. She was not ALLOWED to fail. Nothing she wanted to do mattered. All she had was her targets, and not enough time and energy to finish them off.

"Come on girls! We can do this!" Ruby called and ran off again, the others following behind her. Weiss jumped and attacked from above, Ruby and Blake came from each side, and Yang herself didn't even try to avoid her mother, and directly punched her, blowing Raven away. She got back up, but this time, her movements were slowed. Yang looked, and saw something inside her mother move, reminding her of the her fight with Penny. The only difference was, she had no strings she could sever this time, and she had no idea if she could pull her mother out of whatever possessed her. Eventually, Raven dashed at them again, and Yang was the first to block her, clashing dust with dust. The fight went on, and slowly, Raven began to run out of replacement blades for her hilt, team RWBY focusing on disarming her as soon as possible, one blade at a time. They came at her faster and faster, each determined by her own resolve, and soon, Raven found herself having a hard time keeping up with them. She was already weakened, and now she was on her last spare blades. Even the darkness couldn't keep up, and she could feel her physical body torn by the lack of maintenance from it.

Raven snapped her fingers, and another rip in reality occurred, and she stepped into it, vanishing. The team stood in place, waiting for her next move, only to see several gates opening up all around them, thanks to Raven's semblance. Raven started to dash from portal to portal, trying to impale them as many times as she could, and each of RWBY's members had to push herself to the limit in order not to get hurt. This was Raven's final gambit, an all or nothing move that no matter if it succeeded or not, after it, the fight will be over, one way or another. She went on, blades breaking from her sheer speed, and she replaced them as soon as she could, going on and on with all her might.

"I'm sorry mom."

Yang stood in the center of her circle and closed her eyes. She could feel her mother's movements, plain and simple, and using whatever left of her fake aura, Yang's mind started seeing not only where she is, but where she was going to emerge from. She looked up, and now, the cloud of darkness was no longer inhabiting her sight, and the moon's full might shone brilliantly above her. She redoubled herself, closed her right hand, waited for just the right moment, and sent her fist forward with almost all the strength she had left.

She sent her mother flying.

Raven hit one of the ruined stone pillars in Beacon's entrance around them. She lumped over, the dark aura surrounding her subsiding and vanishing, leaving the woman looking almost dead. Yang could see how the darkness retreated inside of her, and she approached her mother, hoping she could finally talk to her, instead of trying to fight her.

"Mom?" Yang lowered herself to her eye level. "Are you there?"

Raven looked up at her, and said nothing. There was nothing TO say, not from her.

"Yang..." Blake came next to her, wanting to comfort her girlfriend in her time of need. Yang simply turned to her and signed her to step away.

"Blake please, I know you're worried, but this is MY ordeal. I'll face it myself." Blake jumped back, and Yang returned to look at her mother's face, looking for some traces of humanity left in them. Raven's stare was blank, and emotionless. If she was capable of showing ant sort of feeling, she sure wasn't showing it, and Yang was starting to become convinced that even Weiss, with all the mental trauma she went through, was still capable of more emotion then her, for as little as that was.

"MOM, PLEASE! JUST TALK TO ME!" Yang shouted, trying to get some reaction out of her, but alas, still nothing. She started to become angry again, and raised her fist. She sent it at her mother, intending to finish her, once and for all.

And Yang's arm phased THROUGH her.

Yang quickly pulled her arm back. She couldn't fathom what just happened, and tried to hit her mother again, the same thing occurring. For whatever reason, her mother became intangible, and nothing Yang could do to her physical body seemed to connect. Yang tried a different approach, and sought to sever her aura using the Dust Celica, and the paradox exploded even further, as her arm went through what was left of it, same as Raven's body. The entire scene made her anxious and afraid. Things stopped making sense, and Yang wasn't even sure this was really her mother anymore.

_"Pathetic."_

A voice was heard out of nowhere. Raven's limp body began to hover again, but this time, she seemed to have no control over it, instead looking like a puppet rather than a human.

 _"I expected MORE out of you."_ The voice boomed again, and Raven convulsed in pain, starting to glitch and twist before them. All the while, Yang watched helplessly as her mom was, what looked to her like tortured, by _something_ else.

 _"Clearly, you still need some more,"_ The voice paused, as if to give emphasis to what it was going to say. _"Attention."_ Yang saw as her mother started to dissipate, limb after limb practically disappearing into nothing.

"Mom no!" Yang tried to jump and grab on to whatever there was left of Raven, but her hands still went through her, like air. With one last shriek of what none of them could even guess was, Raven's last remnants disappeared, and for now, she was gone.

 _"Pity, peons of Ozpin"_ This time the voice turned to them, acknowledging their presence, saying that last phrase with a leering tone. _"That you would follow the given path of a fool that could not even look beyond his own ego."_

"Ozpin?!" Ruby called back. "We didn't do this for him! We don't even have any idea WHERE the hell he is!"

She waited for a response, but none came. Whoever that was, they left, taking Yang's mother with them. Yang was heartbroken and distraught, and she fell to the floor, only to be caught by Blake before her head hit the dirt. Yang didn't try to get up just yet, instead letting her head rest on Blake's thighs.

"Are you okay?" Blake asked her. Everything that just happened still flashed through her memory, and Yang was still trying to process all of it.

"I have no fucking clue, Blakey" yang sounded a little distressed. She was just done watching her mother, whom she didn't even stay to watch her grow up, be literally torn limb by limb by some unknown entity, not to mention having to fight her for her life just before that. All of that was a little too much to bear, and Yang just felt she needed to rest, and closed her eyes, falling asleep.

Shortly after, JNR came back, seeing as the battle was over. They couldn't see much, having to hide most of the time, but from what they DID see, things were fucked up beyond belief.

"Everyone else okay?" Ruby surveyed her team, wanting to make sure none of them were too hurt, and after seeing as everyone was, at the very least, still alive, she let her stern and serious persona slip, switching for a more relaxed face. "Well, I guess that's that, huh? At least for now..." She looked up at the moon. Even though they managed to beat Raven, something else bothered her: That voice. It sounded so ancient and ominous, and something told Ruby that things were only going to get more complicated from there on out. _Not yet._ She kneeled and her hands together, starting to pray to whatever forces existed out there. She wasn't religious by any means, but now, after facing all of that horror, she needed some form of relief, even if it came from a divine source. _Just give us some more time..._

* * *

The group decided to journey back in the camp's direction, figuring Neo and Penny have already gotten Glynda and her small team to come help them, deciding they should meet halfway. Two days into the journey back, as the group walked the ruins, Yang leaning on Blake and Jaune carried by Ren and Nora, they saw a flying being hover towards them, as Penny came into view and landed in front of her friends.

"Salutations! Did you win?" She asked with an innocent smile, not aware of who they fought or what really happened. Ruby gave her a tired look.

"Y-Yeah. I assume you could say that..." Ruby didn't care about any of this, and just wanted to crawl back into her small bed with Weiss, and sleep it off. Shortly after, Glynda and Qrow caught up with Penny, Neo walking a few meters behind them.

"Damn, you look exhausted." Qrow remarked. "You look like you just fought my sister or something." The look they gave him for saying that didn't leave much for his imagination.

"Well, shit."

"In any case, I'm just glad to see you all are still alive. Penny already reported to me about your exploits in Beacon. Good work everyone." She congratulated them. "We should go back for now. We need to organize everyone for the move and you need some well deserved rest."

"Got THAT right." Ruby said, and the group went on, the sun shone high above them as they journeyed back to the camp.

Qrow was a little worried. _Did they really fight Raven? And why? Was that who Yang sensed all that time?_ Questions began to pop up in his head, and he didn't like the way things were heading. The last time he heard from his sister was shortly before the CCT in Vale fell, during the Vytal festival chaos. He tried to text her, wanting to make sure she was okay, and all he got and was a thumbs up symbol on his scroll. Of course, Raven would be the person not to use a single word if she could, preferring to keep her thoughts to herself as much as she could, but regardless, everything around him burned when he tried to contact her. _You'd think that of all times to disappear; she chose NOW. goddamnit Raven,_ he looked into the sky. _Just what in the name of fuck happened to you?..._

After finally reaching the camp at sundown, Ruby and her team were given the leave to do as they pleased, and they all unanimously went straight to bed. Each cuddled with her partner in their beds, and a few minutes after, they were all fast asleep, looking as peaceful as ever. To Yang, who's consciousness never actually stopped functioning, even when her body was out, things were looking much better, and while she couldn't trace her mother's faux aura, she could once again feel the rest of Remnant, the world pulsing with life in her mind like it used to before. She smiled, and let the colors wash over her, drowning herself back in the sensation of peace and harmony she was so used to. Still, a lingering piece of her rage from the fight with Raven still remained, and Yang decided to look at it, and try and resolve this anger. She concentrated, and the flow of emotion started to make itself heard. for each cry of disdain and despair, she tried to rationalize things.

_It's just not fair!_

_"That's the way things are."_

_She left me! She left me all alone for years!_

_"It isn't your fault. You had nothing to do with this."_

_Now she tries to kill us all! Surrounded by that, DARKNESS, that unbelievable force of death! She deserves to die!_

_"And would that make you better than her?"_

_I DON'T CARE!_ Her inner voice raged on, blinded by feelings of betrayal and hate. Yang didn't try to pretend that she was better than this: This WAS a part of her, another facet of her being, and even though she did accept it, that didn't mean anything to an angry child.

_I WANT MY MOTHER! I WANT TO KNOW HER! TO SEE HER CARE FOR ME! WHY DO I HAVE TO SUFFER WHILE RUBY HAD FUCKING SUMMER?!_

_"You had Summer too. She cared about us just as much."_

_It's just not the same!_ Yang looked further inside the anger, trying to see where it came from. In her mind, she saw the visage of a child, herself when she was young, crying alone. The scenery brought up her memory: This was the day she discovered about Raven. At the time, Summer and Tai Yang tried to cover her existence from Yang, fearing how she would react to this, neglecting to hide a single picture of their old team, team STRQ, that was put on a shelf in the house. Yang found this picture, and decided, out of morbid curiosity, to find who the second woman in the picture was, seeing as she knew Summer, her father, and Qrow already. When she finally discovered the truth, it hit her like a brick wall. All that time, she believed herself to be the daughter of Summer Rose, and her younger self was scarred by the realization that her mother never even stuck around to see her grow. She returned to the present, and now, the anger that exploded within her was replaced by something else: Sadness.

_Why don't I deserve anything?_

_"Deserving has nothing to do with this. You HAVE. That's all that's important."_

_Am I just not worth her time? Am I really that insignificant?_

_"Raven is not who you should be looking at for affection."_

_Then who?_

_"Just look around."_ Yang let the auras of her lover, sister and friend flow into her, filling herself with their love, each in her own way _._ She felt the child in her calm down, as herself and her memory melded together, reforming her complete self once again. The tear was healed, and Yang could feel her aura resonate with the world in harmonious unison.

* * *

A few days later, the entire camp became mostly packed up boxes and bags, as everyone prepared for the big move. Glynda decreed to move into Beacon's grounds nonetheless, promoting to fix the CCT, and eventually restart Vale from a safer place. They stocked up on as much food as they could, seeing as merchants would have a harder time getting to the top of the cliff Beacon was stationed on, and so, they would have to sustain themselves without backup until they could restore communication to the rest of Remnant, and expand their reach to the rest of Vale. Things were fine, and RWBY and JNR helped the people and children pack up, and prepare for leaving. In the middle of packing a rather large pile of dust crystals, which Yang reforged into a huge cube for convenience, Glynda approached her.

"Yang, would you mind getting the rest of your team and come to my office? I need to hear your report on the fight with Raven." Glynda gave them some time to heal before requesting to hear the details, but she had to know, now more than ever, especially if she was going to move the children there.

"Okay, just let me finish up her, and I'll go fetch them." She packed up the dust cube in a box, and loaded it into one of the carts they built a few days prior. An hour later, she and her team, with the inclusion of JNR, Neo and Penny, sat in her office, and waited for Glynda, who came in with Qrow and Oobleck shortly after.

"So, about Raven..." Qrow started. "Want to explain to me what my sister was doing there, and what happened with all that dark mambo jumbo Yang was going on about?" He gave Yang a skeptical look, not even prepared for her answer.

"Raven WAS the dark cloud." She replied in a single breath, to which Qrow blinked.

"Bullshit. Raven may be dangerous, and her world views may be morbid, but even SHE isn't that evil."

"I didn't say evil." Yang corrected him. "I said dark. There is a difference." She paused, trying to reorganize her thoughts. "After we beat her, she became completely intangible. I couldn't even touch her. After that, she started hovering, and her body convulsed, like she was being controlled by something else."

The moment she said the word 'controlled' interest sparked in Glynda's eyes. "So you're saying that someone else was behind this?"

"Yes." This time, Ruby answered. "We only heard a voice, seemingly from nowhere, and it mentioned Raven needed more attention, whatever that meant."

"Hmm..." Glynda thought carefully about this new information. If there really was someone else behind this, would Ozpin even tell her?...

"After that, the voice turned to us, calling us Ozpin's peons." The mention of the former headmaster made Glynda rise from her chair. "What?!" She had no idea if Ozpin was even still alive after all that time. She looked for him everywhere, but no matter what she did, he was gone, like he was swallowed by the earth. And now, out of all places, Ruby hears his name from a mysterious voice, that somehow managed to gain control of Raven Branwen, for how much that was impossible from what she knew of the woman.

"..." They sat in silence. "This, this is some very crucial information." Glynda finally summarized.

"So, do we still go with the movement?" Ooblek questioned. "I would seem unwise to stay here. If there is a higher power in play here, we need to fortify ourselves as much as we can."

"Seconded." Qrow agreed.

"Then it's unanimous. We will go on with the plan to move to Beacon for now, and from there, decide on any further action. Meeting dismissed." She said and left the room with haste, having many more preparations to handle and manage.

"Listen, Yang." Qrow turned to her as the others left. "I have no idea if what you saw really was Raven. But for now, I have only one piece of advice: Even if you beat her, don't expect Raven to quit. If she was put up to this by something else, you can sure as hell she will complete her mission, even if it is killing her own daughter."

Yang gave him a determined look. Somewhere in her heart, she knew this, and hearing it from Qrow only served to confirm her intuition.

"Don't worry." The way Yang looked at him reminded Qrow of his sister, the two's faces looked nearly identical.

"I'm going to save my mother."


	33. Contact

So far, moving to Beacon went without a hitch.

Most of Qrow's students moved with Glynda, Qrow, Oobleck and team RWBY, leaving some of the others in charge of the now secondary colony in Vale's residential district, with many of the adults there watching over the kids that were still too young to make the journey. It took them several days to reach the academy, and luckily, no grimm seemed to reinfest the area while they weren't there. Since the CCT, with Ozpin's original office, was still in shambles, Glynda decided to use a closed off part of the library for the time being, and, in a grand ceremony, reopened the academy for huntsmen training, with herself as headmistress and Qrow, Yang, Ooblek and herself as teachers for the various subjects they could teach. As for teams RWBY and JNR, as well as Penny and Neo, since none of them actually needed any huntsmen training at that point, each already well versed in his or her own style, they were given free reigns in the rebuilding Academy, with the freedom to do as they pleased, sans Yang, who volunteered to teach as well. The first few weeks were mostly rebuilding and reworking broken sections, with the dormitories being a primary focus from the get-go.

"Well, it's good to see the old room is still holding on..." Ruby said, as the team started at their old dorm. When they arrived, RWBY and JNR requested to be able to choose dorms to sleep in first, and opted to just go back to those they already had before. The dorms were even worse than Yang or Blake remembered, and on top of all the empty cans in there, the stench of rotting food filled the air, being absorbed into the soggy, disgusting carpets.

"Geez, what the hell was even sleeping here?" Ruby pondered, and noticed her sister's eyes as they glanced at Blake. Weiss followed soon after, and the two gave Blake a very accusing look.

"I did what I had to do to survive." Blake explained herself, not willing to go any deeper into the details. "Though the smell is new, even for me."

"Whatever. Let's just clean this pig-stein." Weiss decided and went ahead to removing the carpet, cutting it with absolute precision. The rest of the team helped her, and stole the carpets of another dorm down the hall; that seemed to be in at least a better shape, replacing the whole thing. Yang lifted the broken beds out of the way, and the team started to reorganize the entire room, cleaning the whole place and finding less broken furniture to replace theirs. By the end of the day, the dorm looked much better than it did before.

"So, what DO we do about the beds?" Yang asked the rest of her team, "Do we even need four beds at this point?" Since they were all used to sleeping in pairs, there was no need for more than two beds, which made their lives much, much easier. The last time they had this debate, the solution they came up with was putting the beds on top of each other, making them into bunk-beds, which only served to make the room look like a war zone. After a long and hard day's work, the team finished cleaning up the room, and it looked almost like they never left, quickly adapting to its old charm.

From there, things were mostly uneventful for the team, with Glynda and Qrow still debating whether they should reclaim Vale as a kingdom officially, or wait until its reconstruction would be more complete, meanwhile, using Penny's database, they started to repair the broken CCT, wanting to get it back up as soon as they could, so they could at least ask for help from the outside. Though her knowledge was limited to a degree, Penny had lots of the same communication components installed into her when she was first made, mostly for monitoring purposes, making her case quite similar to the CCT, though much smaller in size. Alas, the tower's sheer size and lack of materials proved to be too great of problems, and they just didn't have the recourses to make it happen.

"Fuck." Qrow cursed in Glynda's new office. "Just... Fuck."

"You mustn't lose faith already." She tried to reassure him, to no effect.

"Really Glynda? You still think we can do this alone? We NEED that CCT up and running, as soon as we can. I have no idea when that mystery figure is going to attack us again, and I don't intend to find out. We need the other kingdoms' protection, as soon as we can."

"I know that." Glynda tried to come up with a solution, until finally, an idea sparked in her mind. "We could send word through the nomads passing through our original camp, and try to spark something from there."

"And how far do you think THAT would go? Let's assume we send a message to Mistral, do you really think anyone would get it, let alone care? Atlas already hates us, even if they don't know it yet, and Vacuo couldn't do shit on its own. If we want to do this, we need the CCT."

"Or perhaps, we just need a smaller one, strong enough to just send messages to the other kingdoms." Glynda suggested. The CCTs were all dust based, and seeing as they had a dustmaster on board, they could ask Yang to help with building a smaller, yet powerful transmitter, just to be able to send messages to the outside, at the very least. If they could manage that, things would become much easier, and they MIGHT just be able to convince Ironwood to help them fix the tower, reasoning it as a way to help the rest of the world, getting the quick approval of Vacuo and Mistral.

"I believe this is the best gambit we can play, Qrow." Ooblek sided with Glynda on that one. Of course, it would still take them time to finish, but it was much better than sitting around, wishing for the problem to solve itself.

"Very well. If you two think this is the best idea..." Qrow begrudgingly agreed. Something told him that plan had a hole in it, something he couldn't quite name, and his gut screamed at him something bad was going to happen if they continued with it. However, choosing a path was better than doing nothing in his mind, and seeing as he had nothing better to suggest, the plan was passed, and the three started to brainstorm ways to accomplish making a small, yet operational transmitter from what they had.

"Hmm..." Oobleck was lost in thought, looking for an answer. "We already have Penny, and she has a built in transmitter inside of her. Perhaps we can use that."

"But how?" Glynda inquired. "From what she told us, it won't be robust enough to be able to send a message, especially now, from what Ruby and her team told us, that each CCT has been configured to work on its own."

"Well, we still have Yang. Maybe we can use her dust Celica somehow." Qrow suggested.

"Like how? Use extra dust to empower Penny's transmitter so that it could send long range messages?"

"Maybe. My point is, we don't have a lot to work with. Times like these, you got to be creative."

"Well, let's at least call the two of them here for now, and discuss this with them."

"Fair enough. Let's take a break for now, then, and return to this problem after we've called the two." Qrow stomach rumbled. "and I've had something to eat."

* * *

Launch Time in the new Beacon colony felt so much alike the olden days. Students were everyone, talking and laughing, the major difference that instead of having cooked meals and a large variety, but had to make do with simpler foods, and a lot more less cooking. They didn't really have any cooks on board, which was a problem to some, but the people, not knowing about the CCT issue, were convinced that soon, communication would return, and they could finally contact the outside world. Some even found creative and improvised ways to charge their scrolls back, having put them away for months with no way of actually using them, and there were people here and there already playing with their devices, simple app games they had since before the attack on Vale and the sort.

Team RWBY, team JNR, and Penny were sitting together, enjoying their meal. Penny, while not really having a need for eating, sat with them, just for the company, having small talk with each other, and overall having a good time. Neo, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen, having taken her ration and going away to god knows where to enjoy her food in peace.

"So, as I was saying..." Yang told them the story of how she and Blake killed a goliath while chewing on some old bread. "there we were, just the two of us, in the middle of nowhere..." The group, having heard this story a million times, got bored of it fairly quickly, with the exception of Penny, who was excited each time, listening with all of her attention to each detail Yang told. Even if at their current lever they could take down such monsters with relative ease, especially if they worked as a combined force, it was still fun to hear about it, with Yang exaggerating and outright fabricating details, just for dramatic effect. As they talked, Ruby noticed in the corner of her eyes Qrow and Glynda approaching them, and greeted her uncle.

"Hey Qrow! Hey Glynda! How are you?"

"We're okay, kiddo, though we really need to have a little chat with some of you." Qrow pointed at Penny and Yang.

"Yang, Penny, if you will, we have something dire to discuss with the two of you in my office."

"What's up? Something wrong?" Yang was a little concerned from Glynda's and Qrow's tone. Their auras were moving slower than usual, and something told her it was quite serious. She stopped her story in the middle, and got up, walking with them.

"Aww, no fun..." Penny got up as well soon after and floated away, headed towards the library. They went to the new office, only to see Glynda just took a secluded area in the library, constructed some wood walls with her semblance, and put her things there. The entire room felt a lot like the one in the camp, if not more woody. Oobleck was already sitting there, waiting for the rest.

"Sit down please." Glynda took her place behind her desk and the two sat on its other end. Qrow closed the door behind them and leaned on the wall next to the table, before starting to talk.

"We've got an issue with the plan to reactivate the CCT." he started.

"Why?" Penny didn't quite understand. "You have seen how the technology looks like from me. This should be enough."

"Yeah, except the scale is off the charts." Qrow elaborated. "Even if Glynda uses her semblance to rebuild the entire tower, which even then would take her weeks, we have barely ANYTHING to work with. No electrical components, not nearly enough dust of the right types, no nothing." He gave a deep sigh. "Honestly, this is almost a lost cause."

"Then WHY call the two of us specifically?" Yang already had a feeling where this conversation was heading to, but she still wanted to hear it from them.

"For now, it is impossible for us to complete the tower on our own, given the circumstances." Oobleck cut straight to the chase. "Which is why we have decided on a different course of action: We want you, Yang, to use your expert knowledge of dust to attempt and 'amplify' Penny's transmitter, at least for long enough for us to be able to contact Atlas and the other kingdoms and ask for help."

Yang looked at them bewildered. "You, DO, understand that my knowledge of dust is mostly about the combination of it and aura, right? I have no fucking clue on how transmitting dust, and all that circuitry bullshit works. Honestly, I have no idea how to help you guys."

"Well, there's bound to be someone here that can help us..." Glynda and her team each tried to find some other lead, in order to solve this mystery.

"What about Weiss?" Penny asked absent-mindedly.

"What ABOUT Weiss?" Yang asked, and then it suddenly hit her. "Holy shit I'm going to get Weiss!" She dashed out of the room, not telling anyone what she realized.

 _Of course!_ She thought to herself while running to the cafeteria hall. _Weiss grew in Atlas! Under the head of the SDC no less! She's bound to have the most scientific knowledge about dust from anyone else here!_ Yang stopped before opening the doors, and considered how to convince Weiss into coming with her to Glynda's office. From what she knew, her disdain for her father and his family in general was so great, that the mere mention of it to her would cause her to completely shut everyone out, and refuse to help with even the slightest of things. If she wanted to get Weiss, she would need a more subtle approach. Yang thought about it, and a devilish smirk formed on her face as she entered the cafeteria and went towards the rest.

"Hey Ruuuubyyyy..." She called to her sister.

"Yeah Yang? Is everything okay?" Ruby said in between bites.

"Well, Glynda need you as well, so could please come with me?" Yang asked.

"Uhh, okay." She got up, and just and Yang predicted, Weiss just happened to finish up her meal at the exact same time, and got up, ready to follow Ruby. She took the bait. "See you guys later!" Ruby called to the rest as the three of them traversed the school, heading to the meeting in the office. Entering, they saw Penny and the rest waiting for them.

"We're here! And I'VE got Weiss!" Yang cheered and sat down.

"Wait, why me?" Weiss was quite confused. She only came there because Ruby came there, and she assumed that they needed her.

"Yeah, I thought..." Ruby didn't finish that sentence, before quickly realizing Yang's ploy. "Oh, I get it. Very funny sis." Ruby rolled her eyes. Now not only was there no food, this meeting didn't even involve her, but she stayed nonetheless. If they needed Weiss, they would probably need her to help them convince her to help with whatever it was they needed.

"Okay, long story's short: We can't rebuild the CCT now, want to use Penny in order to contact the other kingdoms, and need someone with expertise on dust to help up with calibrating the whole thing." Yang pointed at Weiss. "That's where YOU come in!"

Weiss looked at her, processing the information given, not before her face turned cold and furious. "So that's it? You just want to use me for your little plan?" She was becoming angry. When she beat her father, Weiss swore to herself never to let anyone tell her what to do. To control her, and while she did know that they held no ill will towards them, the sheer fact they used her Ruby to get her there made her want to deliberately not cooperate.

"No, no. Of course not." Glynda tried to calm her down, but Weiss was having none of it. She almost got up and left, if Ruby did not hold her hand before she could storm out.

"Weiss, please." Ruby gave her a heavy dose of puppy eyes. "They really need your help. If not for them, do it for ME, okay?" Ruby pleaded, and Weiss couldn't refuse her girlfriend, and sat back down.

"Sorry for tricking you, Weiss." Yang apologized, "But I had a feeling you won't come otherwise."

"We'll settle this LATER." Weiss was still not satisfied with the whole thing. "Just, what do you need from me? To help you make Penny into a long range transmitter? I could do it," She didn't even let anyone answer any of her, "But it would take time, and some massive calculations. Just get me a blackboard and something to write with and I'll see what I can do." She took Ruby and left, the rest looking at her with awe.

"Well, I guess I'll go find her what she wanted..." Yang left as well.

* * *

Weiss, Ruby and Yang stood in one of the empty classrooms, Weiss busy writing and wiping hyper-complex equations of the blackboard on the wall. Ruby just sat there, half entranced by the sheer speed in which Weiss was constantly changing numbers and operators on the board, as the space given to her was quickly running out.

"Well, seems like you two have your work cut out for you. I'm going to find Blake or something." Yang smiled and left Weiss to her own devices. Ruby wanted to ask her how she was doing, but seeing Weiss this concentrated and focused made her feel that asking would only ruin her streak, forcing Weiss to start again or something. Eventually, the space of the blackboard was gone, and Weiss preceded to write on the walls next to it, her equations filling the entire wall.

"Hmm... perhaps.. no, no.. if we take this.." Weiss was talking to herself all the while, seemingly having a heated argument with her inner thoughts about the placement of various physical laws in the problem, and about the various ways the whole thing could explode. To Ruby, all of it was absolute nonsense, but it was kind of inspiring to her girlfriend so passionate about something that wasn't her. Though, unlike her days in Beacon, Weiss actual curiosity for learning seemed to have diminished completely, replaced by her Obsession with Ruby and an unfeeling brain, acting on the same level of a supercomputer. After an entire three hour marathon of nothing but arguing with herself and writing, Weiss finally felt the fatigue built up catch up with her, and she staggered back from the board, Ruby catching her before she could fall to the floor.

"Don't worry Weiss. You can do this." Ruby gave her a kiss on her forehead, and Weiss could feel her resolve overpowering her body, and she sprung back, heated more than ever.

"Is everyth-" Glynda entered to see how they were doing, perhaps offer them something to drink, but she stopped mid-sentence when she saw how the entire classroom became one giant equation, with Weiss jumping around, using her glyphs to create platforms for her to stand on close to the ceiling, and constantly fix and rewrite her own math. Is she wanted this to work, Weiss knew that not a single speck of dust could be out of place. They gave her a very difficult task in making a functioning transmitter, capable of sending messages to the other kingdoms, using only one, small robot and not enough dust. Weiss already saw the solution form in her mind, but it would have to be perfect.

"Yeah, you should go..." Ruby whispered to her, and pointed towards the door. Glynda got the hint, and left her former heiress alone, but before she could walk away, she heard Weiss shout in the classroom.

"DONE!"

She went back inside, only to see Weiss, breathing heavily, resting her head on Ruby's shoulder, as the two admired her work: The whole thing was complicated, too complex for Ruby and even comprehend, but Weiss had the whole thing memorized. She knew exactly what they needed to do, calculated the perfect height, dust volume, intensity, and the energy required to kick-start this whole mess. Glynda stared at the room, trying to make sense of any of those calculations, but her own knowledge of dust didn't extend further than the primary education that was given in university about the subject. Weiss' calculations were on the same level as people with a masters degree in dust, and she couldn't help herself but be impressed.

"Well, you two take a break." She turned to the two of them. "Once Weiss is feeling better, we'll talk about putting these into actual use." They gave Weiss the time to rest, and soon after, they were sitting in Glynda's library office, trying to make sense of Weiss' thought process.

"Look, it's really simple..." Weiss preceded to explain to the group once again how the whole thing should go down, but none of them seemed to understand half of what she was saying.

"So, basically," Qrow tried to summarize her explanation. "We just go to the top of Beacon's tower, put Penny there on a ramp or something, and use Yang's Dust Celica as a catalyst for the transmission?"

"If you want to oversimplify things, yes." Weiss concluded. "But Yang, this would require you shape shifting your hand into a different shape. Can you do that?"

"Why can't I just FORGE you the shape you need?" Yang didn't like the idea of morphing her hand into something not human like. The idea already passed through her head before, but she rejected it, not wanting to pervert her own hand's structure.

"You can't. Too much dust, and the messages would be contained inside of it, not even going outside to the rest of the world. Besides," Weiss continued. "You have another role in this. We need you to channel your aura, in conjunction to green dust and your Dust Celica, to kick-start the whole thing." Weiss' plan sounded ludicrous to Yang.

"And what makes you think any of this would work?" Her gut told her this was bound to fail, and so far, Yang's gut was right about many things. Sure, Weiss' science was sound, but Yang's heart was sounder, and she believed there had to be another way.

"It. Will." Weiss gave her an intimidating look. "Just do as I said, and this whole thing should be go perfectly." Yang wanted to argue, but she was alone on this one: Glynda already made her decision, and Yang promised to help, and thus, he had to accept it. They followed Weiss to the tower and climbed it, with Penny bringing all sorts of equipment Weiss told her to, and the prepared for the first inter-continental conversation since Vale fell. Weiss created a glyph platform for Yang and Penny to stand on, and slowly, they prepared for the moment of truth.

"Ready?" Weiss asked with a hint of eagerness in her voice. In all the commotion, she didn't notice her emotions building up, and she lost herself in her own enthusiasm.

"Let's just get this over with..." Yang started to pulse her aura through the Dust Celica, morphing it into an antenna -shaped rod. It felt weird, like her fingers condensed into a single, long one, and she felt her hand get thinner and thinner. Eventually, everything was set.

"Go!" Weiss yelled, and Penny and Yang started to synch with each other, Yang guiding the information towards the CCT in atlas.

* * *

Ironwood was sitting in his office in Atlas, drinking a cup of Joe. At his side, the recently demoted Winter sat as his secretary, handling some of his paperwork. Ever since she severed her connections to her father, the general had to go the extra mile to make sure the president of the Schnee Dust Company would still be in his favor, seeing as the Schnee's dust was now needed more than ever, and that meant listening to some of his rather, 'harsh', demands, like the request to kick Winter out of the army entirely, or at the very least exile her from Atlas. James, however, still wanted her around, seeing in her a great tactical mind, and for now, he was able to convince her father a rather large demotion would do. Everything was going as usual, until a scientist burst through his door, panting heavily.

"You better have a DAMN good reas-"

"Penny just sent us a video transmission!" The scientist yelled. Ironwood and Winter didn't waste even a second and ran with him as fast as they could to the video room in Ironwood's tower, which also doubled as Atlas' CCT. They entered the room, only to see, that in fact, a call is being made. Somehow, not having a single clue how she was calling them.

"Well?! What are you waiting for?!" Winter yelled at the operator, and he pushed the pickup button, as Penny's field of view covered the screen, showing Glynda, Qrow and Weiss standing in front of her.

"You..." James snarled. _Should have expected she would go to Vale..._ He thought to himself. "What have you done with Penny?"

"I'm right here." They could hear her voice echo through the speakers, "They didn't do anything to me. I came here of my own accord."

"Well, you are getting back here!" Ironwood yelled.

"Shut up!" Qrow called. "James, seriously, does THIS really look like the time to be shitting around? How about you first help us rebuild the CCT here in Vale, then we can talk, when the channel ISN'T supported by matchsticks and straws."

James was angry at the man, but his reason won out. In the end, Qrow was right, and the good of the people was more important as a whole than the army's. However, his ego did not allow him to just say yes. He felt he needed to have some sort of control over this whole operation, and he replied.

"Fine. But only under the direct supervision of personally selected military personnel and technicians. After that, we will resume talking about YOU" Penny had a feeling he was referring to her.

"Fine. We SHALL." She imitated his tone. Penny didn't want to go back. She knew exactly what was waiting for her in Atlas, and she was not going to accept it.

"Sister..." Winter tried to talk to Weiss, but her sister seemed busier in maintaining the connection than trying to communicate with her.

"This thing won't hold much longer." Weiss finally said.

"Expect a bullhead coming towards you in a few day's time." Ironwood concluded and signaled to finish the chat. Now, that he knew where Penny was, he was determined to get her back from them, no matter the cost.

"Sir,..." Winter tried to ask him something, but the general silenced her.

"You will go to Vale, under these direct orders:" If was already going to send people there, he was going to the make the most of it, and sending Winter out of the continents was bound to satisfy her father to some degree.

"One: You will supervise this operation to its entirety, and see the construction of a new CCT in Vale."

"Yes, sir."

"Two: You will report back to me with your success as soon as you are able."

"Yes, sir."

"Three: You will spy on the people in Vale, collect information about Penny, and give it to me on a weekly basis, once the operation is done."

"Yes sir." Winter's voice broke up a tiny bit.

"Four: Once you have a favorable position, you will deactivate Penny, and deliver her back to Atlas for repurposing."

"Y-Yes sir."

"And last: Afterward, you will stay in Vale, as a front against the grimm there."

"...Yes sir." Winter nodded. Her instructions were simple enough, and she could easily fulfill each of them. However, being able to see Weiss again was much higher on her priority list. She was worried, and didn't know if she could bring herself to betray her sister, but this was the general's order. As a soldier, she had no right to refuse.

"Now, go to your dorm and pack up whatever you may need there. You will wait for me at 1800 hours in the hanger, where you and the technician team will board a bullhead and head to Vale."

"Right away, sir." Winter bowed and went to pack her things, preparing for the next chapter in her life.


	34. The Legacy of Two Sisters

It was a relatively cold morning for summer. Autumn was beginning to come, the leaves of the trees that were left in Beacon starting to turn orange and gold. Weiss woke up, slightly before Ruby did, and looked at her. She would always take this mornings, when Ruby wasn't quite awake yet, to just stare at her face, and let the fillings of happiness fill her. It was a very well welcomed improvement in her quest to regain her emotions, and thus, she allowed herself to be fully absorbed in Ruby's adorableness. Still, the conversation they had with general Ironwood a few days prior still lingered in her mind. He told them he would be sending technicians to help fix the CCT in Vale, and Weiss had a nagging feeling he was going to send Winter to supervise the whole thing. She WAS his second in command last time she saw her, and it would be the perfect opportunity to show them how much his army is powerful, with yet another pointless display of soldiers and robots. She expected the entire place to be overrun with them once they arrive, but for now, she will tolerate it. As long as they wouldn't try to hurt Ruby, Weiss was fine with it. She looked outside their window, and saw the bullhead, headed towards Beacon. _So, it begins..._ She thought to herself as she got out of bed and prepared for the day, making sure Ruby and the rest of her team were up as well.

"Morning everyone!" Ruby called and went put on her combat skirt.

"Morning." Blake and Yang replied. "And good morning to you, Weiss." Yang tried to talk to her.

"Good morning." Weiss replied. She looked and Yang, and thoughts about the rest of her team began to surface. Sure, she still saw them as friends, but in her eyes, things were a lot more extreme: Ruby was just much more important, and she knew the other two could fend for themselves, already having each other. Weiss tried to conjure any spec of feeling for the two, and yet, her heart did not respond. It was quite unfortunate for her, but Weiss knew this was another hurdle she will have to pass on her path: Ruby first, the rest of the world later.

"It would seem the ship has arrived." Weiss mentioned with a bit of a scrawl in her voice. It was subtle, but Yang was able to notice a shift in Weiss' aura, and something told her there was someone on that ship she did NOT want to meet.

"Are you going to be okay?" Ruby asked, seeing her sister's face fill with worry as she looked at Weiss.

Weiss took a short while to turn to Ruby and answer her: "Yes, Ruby." She turned back to the window, and gazed as the bullhead began to land, and soldiers started coming out of it, Winter between them, just as she suspected. "I'm going to be JUST fine..."

The left their dorm to greet their new guests, and Ruby held Weiss' hand close, wanting to make sure she wouldn't do something regretful. Honestly, though, Weiss wasn't intent on starting a blood feud: She knew her sister very well, and expected her to take this task with all the seriousness needed, probably sticking to the book, in order to impress her general. They went outside to the landing area, where Glynda and co. where already waiting for them, and took their place beside them.

"Good morning." Winter finally approached them, and looked at Glynda, noticing Weiss heading there as well from the corner of her eye. Her line of thought was cut short, and she stared at the group, not sure what to say.

"...Winter?" Glynda finally snapped her back to reality, and Winter shook her head, and continued to address the group, her words carefully picked by Ironwood's PR division.

"I am here on behalf of general Ironwood to assist you with the reconstruction of the CCT tower here in Vale. I have brought with me a specially selected team of professionals, as well as all the materials needed, to ensure the task will go as smoothly and as flawlessly as possible. The estimated time of completion is about two months, in which you are expected to let the atlisian army do its work in peace, and not cause any disturbance to the process." She was already well used to giving premade speeches, from her days as Ironwood's second in command. Alas, she was now in semi-exile from her kingdom, and she had a mission to fulfill here. While giving the basic rundown of the construction plans to Glynda, Qrow, and Oobleck, who inquired on the specifics of the operation, she found her thoughts lean towards Weiss, who was standing nearby, chatting with Ruby and her friends about what she only assumed was her. _I have to find the time to talk to her..._ Winter thought to herself as she went on with the details.

"And what about the actual blueprints for the new tower. I assume you wouldn't be here without them." Glynda asked, and Winter snapped her fingers, an atlisian droid came to her, carrying a rolled up sheet of construction plans, and she spread in on the ground, letting the three admire the latest of Atlas' design code.

"As you can see, the entire building will be made from dust infused steel, the wiring hidden deep within beneath the walls. It will also contain bulletproof and shockproof qualities, to ensure the tragedy that happened here last year won't repeat itself." She pointed towards the center of the prints, showing plans for one large, seemingly empty floor. "This is where the control room will be located. In respects to Professor Ozpin, the general made sure this could also serve as a meeting room, as well as an office." She looked at Glynda. "I assume you are the one to inhabit it."

"Yes." Glynda confirmed she was de facto leader of this soon to be new Vale. Winter took a mental note of this information, and moved on, explaining and droning on about the many features of the new tower. Her words made her look very enthusiastic about the subject, but she cared little for it. Years of memorizing speeches already prepared her well for situations like this, and she was able to induce fake emotional tones into her words, making it look as lively as possible. After an hour or so of talking about the greatness of the atlisian military, she finally concluded the basic rundown, and was given time to herself, Glynda going to check on the preparations for the tower, Qrow and Oobleck following her. She headed straight to RWBY's location, and she saw Weiss turn towards her as she came.

"Hello, Winter." Weiss' voice was as cold as ice. Not even a hint of emotion in her voice. It made Winter's heart shrink a little.

"Weiss, c'mon." Ruby tried to cheer her girlfriend up, perhaps warming her up a bit, but for the first time, she failed. Weiss just stared at Winter, and all she could think of was how harsh she was towards her in her youth. Both her and _him._ Images of her former father started popping up in her mind, but Weiss rejected them outright, refusing to acknowledge their existence. She turned to Winter, who she saw as the center of her pain at the moment, and cut straight to the chase.

"What do you want, Winter?"

Winter was shocked by Weiss' demeanor, looking even worse than the last time she saw her. Sure, when she met Weiss before the Vale incident, she was her old, stern, cold self. But since then, she believed herself to have changed, even if by a little. Beneath all the attitude and emotionless demeanor, Winter still cared deeply for her sister, and all she wanted was just to see her smile.

"I, I-..."

"You WHAT?" Weiss continued her attack mercilessly. "You come here, probably under orders from both the general and HIM, and expect me to just be happy to see you? What makes you think you deserve it?!"

"No. I-I mean..."

"Pathetic. Here you are, given a chance to explain yourself, and you can't utter a single word." Weiss let her anger consume her. She was fed up with Winter, fed up with her father, fed up with the entire world, in fact. If there was ever a time Weiss came close to snapping, it was then.

"B-But, we're still sisters, an-"

"What did you just call me?" Weiss' voice went from cold to ice frigid. Ruby hugged her as tight as she could, but no matter how much she tried, Weiss just wouldn't calm down.

"Sisters..." Winter repeated herself. She wasn't even sure anymore if there was anything left of her precious sister in there, or if Weiss was replaced with an empty husk of a human, pretending to be alive. But she still had to try. Anything would do, as long as she could catch the smallest trace of her sister in there.

"How dare you call us that." Weiss' face became grim. "You are still a Schnee. And as long as you carry that WRETCHED title," Weiss' voice rose to shouting level for the first time in months "I will forever refuse to acknowledge you as my sister."

Winter's facade was broken, and she fell to the floor, bursting into tears very uncharacteristically. "I fought him too!" She tried to plead to Weiss' heart. "After I saw you, I finally realized what our father had done to you. I just couldn't take it sitting down, so I went over there, and tried to get a confession out of him. I fought him, for your sake, and he disowned me too! I'm not a Schnee as much as you are!" The tears slowed down, and she sobbed quietly, looking at her sister.

"I just wanted to see you again."

Weiss was quite surprised to hear Winter saying that. She expected the usual stern, serious sister she knew, but seeing her being that emotional was not something she expected. Even more than that, she never had a clue Winter would stand up against her father, let alone in relation to her, and even though she thought the gesture was flattering to some degree, she still saw it as pointless. She was the one in charge of her own fate, and no one had to intervene in order to help her. However, Winter made a great sacrifice in order to see her again, and Weiss couldn't just ignore that. She felt an ambient wave come over her. It would seem her heart reacted to Winter's words, in one way or another, and not wanting to shut down the possibility of feeling something new, she embraced it, and felt herself warm up back to her usual emotional state. She stood in front of Winter, and gave her her hand, offering her help in getting back up.

"I still don't know how I feel about you. But I do feel SOMETHING. For now, I'll accept you being here."

Winter smiled, and took Weiss' hand, feeling her soft skin as she helped her up.

* * *

It's been two weeks since construction started. So far, Winter had been very busy, overseeing the entire operation, making sure everything was going as planned. The old tower was already destroyed and moved out of the way, and they were now in the process of digging the foundations for the new one. The droids only hastened the work, digging tirelessly, while the engineers sat in their small tent, putting the actual transmitter together. Even though Atlas gave the gift of the CCT to the rest of the world, the actual transmitter's structure and plans were a highly guarded military secret, with only certain, trained professionals in each kingdom that were put in charge of its maintenance knowing its many secrets. Winter just finished another meeting with her crew, and she finally had her time to herself, thankfully not having to report to the general just yet. She decided to stroll Beacon, seeing the many students running through the corridors, just being plain teenagers, without a care in the world. She stopped by one of the classrooms, which had a broken roof, where she saw Yang, Weiss' teammate, giving a lesson. Glynda told her the lessons were free to anyone wanting to learn, and that she could enter one if she wished, so she decided to see go into the classroom. Yang sat on a pile of earth that gathered in one corner, grass already growing on it, as her students, both young and old, listened to her lecture. Yang's lesson was about her favorite subject: Aura. She went on and on, telling marvelous tales she read about it's amazing powers, and Winter found herself drawn in by her enthusiasm. Time went on, until finally the lesson was over, and as the students got up and turned to leave, Winter came directly to Yang.

"Can I have a word with you?" Winter asked.

Yang looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "...Sure." She didn't quite get why Winter would want to talk to HER of all people, and nonetheless, she sat back down, as Winter took a stop next to her.

"About Weiss..."

"Figured." Yang concluded. It was probably something obvious like that.

"I just wanted to ask you, since I remember you saying that you could see auras." Winter's eyes gazed towards the Dust Celica. "How is she doing? Is she healing from our father's treatment of her?"

Yang thought about it for a moment, and decided to share with Winter what she knew. "Weiss is healing, though very slowly. When I look at auras, I can see their colors, representing their emotional state. Unlike yours or mine, Weiss' aura is almost completely transparent, having little to no shred of emotion left, at least when we were first reunited." Yang saw the worry form in Winter's aura, and continued. "However, lately, especially around Ruby, Weiss' soul shows a little more opaqueness. Strands of color manifest themselves here and there, and she's slowly reopening herself. But I do have to say this: When she first saw you a week ago, her aura went back to how she was before, and even worse. For a second there, I was almost sure she went past the point of no return."

The moment Winter heard this, she almost teared up again. "B-But she's alright now, right?"

"For now, yes, but her condition is still unstable, at least in my opinion, though that has nothing to do with you."

"What do you mean?" Winter was a little curious.

"I mean that she forces her aura to move the way SHE wants, instead of letting it do whatever feels right." Yang explained. " Every time you move, your aura moves as well, though not always in the same way. Weiss, for some reason, inhibits her aura's movements, making it follow her direct will instead, and while it didn't show any harmful effects of her yet, I have my suspicions..." Yang's face became a little worried as well.

"Well, she's alright for now. That's what matters." Winter got up. "Thank you, Dustmaster Yang." She heard the other students call her by that title, and figured she might as well do the same. Yang rolled her eyes.

"You too?" Yang's face blushed a bit. "Really wish they would stop with that stupid nickname, though I have to admit, at least it's not as bad as Ruby's..." Yang gave a small laugh. "Well, I've gotta go. Got a pussy cat waiting for me at the dorm, and I am NOT making her wait any longer." Yang rushed outside, leaving Winter alone. She sat on the grounds, considering what to do, when all of a sudden, she heard weapons clashing outside, and decided to investigate. She followed the noise, and came upon the amphitheater, where Glynda was giving a combat lesson, with Ruby and Weiss having an exhibition match. The two matched each other perfectly, and like a beautiful dance, their attacks never made a single scratch of either of them. Ruby was using her silver eyes, while Weiss had her armor on, and Winter finally had a chance to look at her summoning skill: It looked strange to her, as Winter clearly recognized the design on the armor as the one Weiss defeated in her youth. She continued to watch, and noticed that the armor only served to boost Weiss herself, rather than acting like an autonomous being, as Weiss jumped and ran across the battlefield, dodging the many swings Ruby delivered with Crescent Rose, slipping through them perfectly. Her combat style was nothing like Winter remembered, which only served to remind her how much her sister changed in the past year. The match finally ended, and the two left together, Glynda continuing with her lesson. Winter went after the two, catching up with them in the corridor outside of the arena.

"Oh. It's you." Weiss turned to her. She could feel the cold coming, but this time, decided to try and go against it, at least giving her would be sister a chance.

"Hello, Weiss. Hello, Ruby." Winter addressed the two. "Weiss, I was wondering if we could have a private conversation?"

Weiss wasn't entirely happy with that, but she decided to oblige her sister and listen to her. "Very well. Ruby, I will see you later."

"K." Ruby gave her a small kiss and left, looking for something else to do.

"So," Weiss came close to her. "What is it that you want to talk to me about?"

"Well, I just wanted to make sure you are okay." Winter looked into her almost empty eyes. "I really do care about you, Weiss. Even if you think otherwise."

"Hmm." Weiss replied. "I wouldn't think otherwise."

The two sat in silence, until Weiss finally decided to speak up.

"Fight me."

"Wh-What?" Winter was confused.

"So far, one of the few things that help me feel anything is combat. If you really want to awaken something within me, fight me." Weiss' awareness of her own condition was terrifyingly accurate. Winter took the time to think about it, before making her decision.

"Fine." She wanted her sister to feel again, and if it meant having to come at her with killing intent, she would do it. Winter also hoped that perhaps during this, Weiss might open herself a little more towards her sister, and the two could start bonding again. They turned back, and headed inside the arena, and went to Glynda.

"Glynda, after this fight is over, put Winter and me next." Weiss requested. Glynda looked at her, seeing her resolve, and figured little could change her mind.

"Fine. Just be careful, okay? You already lost some of your aura from your spar with Ruby."

* * *

Weiss and Winter stood against each other. Weiss already had Myrtenaster in her hand, and Winter readied her weapon, Gerechtigkeit, as well.

"BEGIN!" Glynda called, and the two sisters quickly went through the summoning sequence, Weiss donning her armor and Winter calling her beowulf. She sent the best at her sister, but Weiss' raw power was way too much for it, and she tore the faux grimm apart with only one swing of the knight's blade. Winter was shocked, seeing how strong her sister had become, and charged at her directly, having plenty of aura from not controlling the beowulf for long. She stabbed Weiss repeatedly, but her sister was faster, dodging her many attacks, and with one swift motion, knocked Winter back.

"That's it?" Weiss questioned her. Winter had to do better.

"Not yet!" Winter called and snapped Gerechtigkeit's secondary blade from within the main one, holding it in her right hand. While her skill with a single weapon was great, Winter's true strength came when she duel-wielded her weapons, delivering devastating blows to her opponent. Weiss came at her using her glyphs, jumping around the room, and Winter tried to lock her eyes on Weiss' movements, predicting from where she would strike. Eventually, Weiss came from behind her, just as Winter predicted, and she parried Weiss with her primary sword, moving out of the way on the process. This went on, Weiss only getting slower and slower, while Winter wrestled control over the pacing of the fight. Now, Weiss was the one having to keep up with her, having burnt through most of her aura in the beginning, leaving Winter with the upper hand. She came at her sister with a series of blows, and Weiss blocked her each time, as Winter looked into her eyes each time their blades met. Each time, Winter saw a tiny glimpse of her sister's former self, showing itself through the cold. Winter was becoming hopeful, and she felt a surge of strength, filling her with the power to help her sister heal. She came at Weiss once more, this time from above, and Weiss loaded a light blue crystal into Myrtenaster, unleashing an icy wind at her sister. Winter was hit directly, but her will refused to give up, and she pushed on through the ice, aiming directly for Weiss. Weiss jumped out of the way at the last second, and once again, she used her glyphs to accelerate, circling Winter, who did the same and summoned her own glyphs to counteract this. The circles appeared all over the place, as the two sister used them to both move themselves around and hinder the other, pushing her away from the walls or something similar. In the end, the two were exhausted. Winter stared at her sister, who was panting, and felt happy for her sister's achievements.

"You're really grown." She told her sister. "I'm so proud of you." She complemented her.

Hearing that from Winter made Weiss feel something, the same ambient emotion she felt earlier, but couldn't quite understand: She felt accepted. Loved by someone she was sure would only hurt her in the end. Weiss' guard began to lower itself a little. She felt power surge through her, only from hearing a word of praise from Winter, and she was determined to prove herself only further.

"Then let's finish this!" Weiss channeled even more aura into the armor. One final move, all or nothing. She summoned a glyph, and dashed at Winter as fast as she could, aiming to end it all. Winter felt the same, and ran towards Weiss as well, the two clashing in the middle, until passing through each other, seeing who managed to land the final blow. After a few seconds, it was Weiss who fell, being too tired from her previous fight with Ruby, coupled with her slight recklessness against Winter. Winter came up to her, and offered her hand.

"You did great." Winter smiled at her.

"Not quite." Weiss looked to the side. If she still lost to someone like Winter, that only meant that if she had to face someone like her father again, she would stand to chance.

"On the contrary, considering you had another fight before this one, you managed to hold on for really long time. That's admirable."

Weiss didn't answer, being lost in her thoughts, analyzing her own movements against her sister and making mental notes about her fuck-ups in the fight.

"In any event, I think you are ready." Winter continued.

"For what?" Weiss raised her head and looked at Winter.

"You may not be able to see me as you sister, Weiss." Winter rose up and leaned in her sword. "But I can teach you the one art our father never thought you could handle. If you won't see me as a sister, at least you could see me as a teacher."

"To what?" Weiss wondered, but before long, the answer hit her right in the face, as she uttered the name of the single, most powerful glyph the Schnee family semblance could produce.

"Localized temporal dilation."


	35. The Art of Dilation

"Again!"

Weiss and Winter stood in the center of Beacon's amphitheater, Winter trying to teach Weiss the art of time dilation. Glynda approved of the two training there while no combat lessons were taking place, and for the past month, Weiss has been learning from dawn till dusk, barely having any time to be with Ruby. It was not optimal on her eyes, but the result was going to be worth it: Amongst all the Schnee's glyphs, none were more prestigious and powerful as the dilation glyph. It stood as a black sheep amongst its brethren, and only those with the determination and talent of legend were able to fully master it.

So far, Weiss completely understood the theoretics of the glyph: Most other glyphs were oriented towards acceleration, or at least some form of force application. Weiss would create the glyphs using her aura, condense enough pressure into them, until the appropriate level was met, signaled by the color of the glyph, and then unleash it, moving objects across space. Even platform glyphs, or those that allowed you to walk on walls, were all in some form a force, pushing to away or towards the glyph's surface, creating a multitude of uses for it. The dilation glyph, however, worked on an entirely different principality: Instead of _giving_ something force, thus moving it in space, Weiss would have to _take away_ from it, creating the effect of slowing down on everything within the glyph's range. Even the thought process of those around her would slow down, that being the biggest difference between hastening herself or slowing everything else down: Weiss would literally be able to think faster AND move faster than her opponents. She even theorized she could match up with Ruby and her semblance using this power. The physics barely made any sense to anyone who was NOT a Schnee, and even Weiss, with her high intellect, needed some time to grasp it all. When the practical training came, Winter showed her no remorse, expecting nothing but perfection, if not, at least, being more supportive, throwing a good word here and there. Of course, words of praise meant nothing to Weiss if she could not perfect the technique, and so, the training went on.

Weiss closed her eyes and raised her hands, creating the glyph according to Winter's teachings. She then started to shift her aura, using her precise control over it, to force the glyph into consuming force instead of giving it. Yang always bothers her with this, but she just doesn't understand: Yang only sees auras in their unsuppressed, wild forms. Weiss, on the other hand, understood that if she wanted to perfect herself, she must gain control of every last aspect of her being, which included aura. True, Yang's lessons at the day helped her significantly, and Weiss was able to feel her aura move. But just because something works, it doesn't mean it can't be improved, and so, Weiss began to experiment, diverting the flow and channeling her aura the way SHE wanted, instead of the other way around. Even in dust forging class, Yang couldn't argue that Weiss got the results, and got them both fast and high quality. She just had her own way of doing things. Weiss concentrated as much as she could, and the glyphs started to turn from bleach white to bright red, and the more it changed colors, the more Weiss could feel time slowing down. It was minute, but she could feel that with each breath, less and less air would get into her lungs, signaling that it didn't move fast enough before entering her body. Eventually, when the glyph was around the deeper red-ish colors, Weiss had no air, and she released it, breathing heavily. This was, unfortunately, the biggest flaw of this glyph: The more she slowed time around her, the less air would get to her brain if she stood in one place, meaning Weiss would have to both increase her lung's capacity, and even then, she had to be in constant movement while dilating time, so that the area around her wouldn't run out of oxygen.

"Hmm." Winter looked at her scroll, stopping the timer app. "3 minutes and 31 seconds. That's an improvement." She wanted to say more, but she knew that being too soft won't do anything. "Rest a little, and we'll try again."

"Yes Winter." Weiss walked to the entrance, where she had a small bottle of water waiting for her. She drank almost all of it, and the door opened, Ruby and the gang showing up.

"Hey Weiss! We're here to watch you do awesome time stuff!" Ruby exclaimed happily. Weiss gave them the basic explanation of the glyph's function, and they were all interested in seeing it in action, though in her opinion Ruby could have used a more appropriate term for her glyph.

"Very well, but you must promise not to disturb me, alright?" Weiss needed every ounce of her focus to keep this up. They have been doing this for two hours now, and she was finally starting to feel her aura reach its limits. Soon, she'd collapse, but Weiss intended to squeeze every last bit out of herself she could. She walked back to the center of the training field, and Winter prepared the app again, noting down her last time.

"Ready?" Winter asked and Weiss nodded. "Very well. Again!" She started the timer, and Weiss conjured the glyph again, starting to slow everything around her. Yang, who sat next to Ruby, was quite interested in seeing her use her glyphs, and how her aura reacted. So far, she didn't have the time or luxury to do so, only looking at Weiss while her glyphs were up during battles and such, and this was a perfect chance for her do to some much-deserved observation. She focused on her aura vision, and saw how Weiss' aura moved with calculated perfection, slightly nudging the glyph in all the right spots, basically programming it on the spot. On the outside, the glyph morphed and changed, and before long, Weiss was ready, and the time dilation began once again. She tried as hard as she could, and with her Ruby watching her, Weiss felt she wanted to prove herself even further, and tried to go past the red, into the orange area. However, the lack of air caught up with her fairly quickly, and this time, she collapsed, having little to nothing to breathe. Winter ran up to her the moment she fell, and caught Weiss right before she hit the ground.

"That was too reckless, Weiss." Winter berated her sister. "You should have stopped in the red glyph for now. Too much and you could suffocate."

"I'm okay." Weiss looked at her, and tried to fake it, failing. She was too tired to go on with this, at least for that day, and had to rest, ending the lesson a little sooner than usual. "In any case, how long?"

"One minute, 14 seconds." Winter gave her a worried look. "You could have gone longer. Remember, the point of this is to build up your endurance to lower air pressure, not just try and slow time as much as you can." Winter helped he get up. "Well, this should do for today. We shall meet here tomorrow, and continue. Don't forget to do your running exercises as well. You need that stamina. In any event, I have to go." Winter ran off towards the exit, heading to yet another meeting with her engineers about the CCT core. "Goodbye!"

"Goodbye, Winter!" Weiss called back.

This was her sister's life in the past month: Give Weiss her lesson, and go to meetings and checkups on construction. So far, the tower was moving along neatly, most of the groundwork already done and completed, meaning soon they could move to the actual building of the tower itself. After Winter had left the arena, Weiss' friends came down, to check up on her.

"You okay Weiss? You look pretty beat." Ruby's genuine concern made Weiss feel a little happy.

"Y-Yes. I should be fine after some rest."

"Great! Then let's go eat something!" Ruby dragged her all the way to the cafeteria, where dinner was currently served, though it was mostly just boiled eggs and more bread. The military brought with it a batch of supplies for them to sustain upon, at least for the time being, and they knew that once the CCT was finished, they could request the official help of the other kingdoms, and eventually get Vale to its former state. They got their food and sat, talking with each other of whatever, while enjoying the small moments they shared. Weiss looked around, and nothing seemed out of place: Ruby was stuffing face, Yang was telling a group of students about her fight with the goliath, a favorite of hers. Blake was sitting at her side, eating some fish. Jaune and Ren talking about their own thing. Nora playing with her food, and Penny was hovering next to Nora, looking as the amazon shoved three eggs into her mouth at the same time. Yet, Weiss couldn't shake the fact that she didn't quite get the hang of the dilation glyphs yet. If her former father had anything to say about it, he would have already given up on trying to teach her the art, seeing as she shows no actual results so far, only doing the basics of dilation. She felt she needed to improve herself, as much as she could, and tried to come up with ways to somehow conquer her imperfections, and master the technique as fast as she could.

"So, Weiss," Ruby turned to her, food still in her mouth. "That was some really cool glyphs you did there! I wanted to ask: Is it hard to make them happen?"

Weiss was a little surprised by Ruby's curiosity, and decided to enlighten her. "Not really. Think about my semblance the same way you think about yours: Second nature. When you want to accelerate yourself, do you need to will your semblance into working, or do you just know how to do it, without having to call manually upon this power?" Ruby blinked at her, and thought for a second.

"I guess it really IS like second nature. Never really thought about it that way."

"That is true. However, this glyph is not like any other I've ever used. It requires my full attention and concentration to achieve, and I have not quite grasped all of its nuances yet, only doing its most basic form, merely to train myself for the more intense glyphs later." Weiss explained the glyph's inner working in more detail to Ruby, who gulped up the information with glee. It was nice to see Ruby so interested in such manners, showing signs of maturity.

"Well, it's really late. Wanna go to bed?" Ruby asked her, and Weiss got up, the two getting ready to sleep.

* * *

The morning after, while eating breakfast, Glynda called Weiss and Ruby to her office, have a mission for them. Actual missions were a rare thing now, not really having any need to hunt grimm, seeing as they retreated for the time being from the area, leaving the huntsmen in peace.

"I wonder what kind of mission Glynda has for us." Ruby wondered out loud as the two opened her door, only to see Winter with the usual suspects as well, a map of Vale with markings on it spread on Glynda's desk.

"Good. You came." Glynda told them, and the two moved closer to her. "I have an important task for you."

"Is something wrong?" Ruby was a little worried.

"Perhaps. Let's hope not." Glynda pointed towards an area in the industrial district.

"This area is highly suspected to contain the new location of the White Fang." She explained. "Ever since Adam Taurus died, the group hasn't done much, only casually taking food we offer them and leaving with it. However, recently, our scouts in the area reported greater activity from them, and I want to know what they are planning, if they are even planning something."

"I see." Ruby knew why Glynda didn't send Blake or her sister. She already heard from Yang about Adam's death by Blake's hands, and the last thing Blake needed now was to face that group. "We'll do it."

"Good, though I'm not sending you alone." Glynda replied, and the door opened, Neo and Penny standing in the entrance.

"Salutations!" Penny cheerfully called. Neo just waved her hand in a greeting fashion.

"Penny will assist from above, using her flight capabilities." Glynda explained. "Neo will do the actual infiltration work, that being her expertise already. You two are an escort, there to handle any situation that may turn too south. Do you understand?"

"Yes..." Ruby sounded a little disappointed, and Weiss quickly figured why. Even though Ruby acknowledged the fact that she might not be the big hero in the end, and that fairy tales weren't necessarily a reality, she still loved to use her weapon and fight with it, and being told to stay on the sidelines was a little disappointing. Weiss, on the other hand, saw this as a perfect opportunity to practice her new glyph in a more live situation, perhaps maybe even having a unique niche on the team thanks to it.

"Well, go get whatever you need, and report to me upon leaving Beacon. Winter has agreed to lend us a vehicle to get you to the main city, so come here before you go so that she can show you to it."

The group prepared for the journey, keeping the details a secret from Yang and Blake, last one of them decides to follow them or something. Finally, under the cover of night, the small vehicle piloted by one of the many droids drove them to the designated area in Vale, where the four could see faunus walking around, in tattered white suits and grimm masks.

"This droid will wait here for you until you return." Winter's voice came from its mouth. "Good luck." Weiss felt that last statement was meant for her, but she could ponder on that later. They had a mission a carry.

"Come on." Ruby whispered, and the four split up, each to her own position. Penny flew up, already camouflaged to blend with the night sky, while Neo snuck around the area, looking for the warehouse from which the White Fang came out of. Ruby and Weiss stuck together, shadowing Neo to make sure that no one spotted her.

"Okay, the coast is clear ahead of you." Each of them had a radio based communication device next to her ear, so that Penny could feed them information. It was an old piece of tech, but Winter thought it would be useful for them to have at the moment. "You have two grunts on your left, and one on your right." Penny kept reporting what she saw around, and the team advanced through, avoiding each White Fang member in their path.

"Found it." Neo whispered, and pointed towards one of the buildings, where they saw two White Fangs standing near the gate, looking like they were dozing around. Neo recognized this, however, as an old diversion technique, where the guards would only look like they were not doing anything while secretly keeping watch for anyone around them. Obviously, they were highly trained, being able to both stand guard and look like they're nearly falling asleep at the same time. "I'm going in. Cover me." She continued, and pointed towards the large, metal door standing in between the two guards. She waved her finger, and Penny got the message, sending a single blade down to the earth below her. With one swift motion, she knocked out both sentries by hitting them in the head, and Neo could enter their base, looking for any trace of plans they might have for the close future. She quickly made her way towards one of the ventilation shafts, using her small stature to climb into it, making her way towards the insides of the building, leaving the others alone for themselves for the time being. Every few minutes, Neo would come up on the radio, and tell them about what she saw inside: The warehouse was divided to a few smaller rooms, each one serving a different purpose. In each room, there were a few members of the White Fang, either watching the halls or sleeping, and Neo bypassed them all easily, using her superior espionage abilities, and after a few minutes, finally found a meeting room, where a few members of the White Fang were talking about something that looked important, so Neo made her way through the ventilation to eavesdrop, positioning her earpiece in such a way that both Ruby, Weiss, and Penny could listen as well.

"So, these are the plans, correct?" They heard a young voice speak.

"Yes." An older, much more gruff answered. "Now that the huntsmen moved to Beacon, leaving the older camp behind without much protection, we can finally liberate the faunus trapped there from their clutches."

"Oh no." Ruby whispered to Weiss. Even if the White Fang were pretty much beneath them in terms of strength, they were still people, and Ruby wanted to avoid as much bloodshed as she could. Fighting the White Fang now will only bring grimm to the area, and after they were just done killing a new grimm dragon, Ruby did NOT want to have to face something similar again.

"This is all for today. The plan will commence within three days time. Until then prepare yourselves for a fight. Those filthy humans won't go down easily." The gruff voice continued.

"Sir!" A group of younger voices howled in unison, and they all left the room. Neo took her earpiece back, but just as she left, she hit one of the pipes by mistake, make a noise all throughout the building. Neo just stood there in silence, shocked by the loud noise that vibrated all around her, until she heard Ruby shout in her ears.

"Neo, get out of there, NOW!"

She quickly snapped out of it, and ran towards the nearest exit, sneaking outside while the entire warehouse began to rile up on high alert. Ruby and Weiss waited for her at the entrance, and they were about to leave, until a spotlight from one of the roofs was aimed at them, somehow quickly spotted. Soon after, they were surrounded by the White Fang, and at this point, they had no choice but to fight.

"Humph!" Weiss sneered at the faunus, and summoned her armor. Faunus or no, they were still her enemies for the moment, and she would protect Ruby, even from minute threats like them. Her racism was long gone, replaced by the emptiness in her heart and her decision to abandon everything Schnee related from her past, but nonetheless, she saw them as a nuisance. Weiss didn't wait long, and dashed on, blowing her way through the lines of the White Fang. Ruby, seeing her girlfriend not pulling any punches, prepared Crescent Rose for combat as well, trying her best not to kill anyone on her war path. Neo jumped around, knocking as many of them as she could as well, while Penny gave them all aerial support, launching her many blades from the sky to attack the White Fang en masse.

One of the faunus came at Ruby with its claws, but she was well prepared for this, and blocked him with her weapon, sending him away. Like the lesser grimm they fought on a regular basis, these grunts might be weak alone, but they had the numbers on their side, and soon, this fight became a battle of attrition, the White Fang aiming to tire them all out as soon as they could, in order to overpower them.

"Well?! Any ideas?!" Ruby called to the others, while trying to keep up with the grunts constantly coming after her.

"Hmm..." Weiss looked, and saw that at the far end of the group, one of the larger members stood watch, and she assumed that he was their leader for the moment. If she could take him down, it would demoralize the others, giving them enough breathing space to escape. However, doing that would be a problem, seeing as even if she tried to approach him, his subordinates would just block her path. There was only one option.

She would have to dilate time.

"I have an idea, but I need you to cover for me!" Weiss called, and Ruby and Neo jumped close to her, shielding her while she concentrated. The glyph began to form, and Weiss starched it as far as she could, trying to cover the entire path between her and the leader. As soon as the glyph was ready, Weiss clutched her aura as hard as she could, and the glyph started to change color, turning from bright white to a more red tone. When she trained with Winter, Weiss could only feel the dilation happen around her. Now she could also see it: The White Fang member's bodies slowed down, as everything around them became much more predictable. Soon, Weiss felt her lungs starting to scream for air, and she quickly started to move towards the general of the group, trying to grasp as much air as she could with each breath. She didn't need much time, only one, precise strike would do, but the more she had to maintain the glyph while moving, the more she felt her aura diminish at an alarming rate. The grunts around her saw her move faster and faster, and as much as they tried to stop her, Weiss acted like she could clearly read them, and avoided each blockade put in her way, heading straight for their boss. With her last spec of strength, she managed to reach him, and swung her sword at him as hard as she could, as her glyph broke down, and time returned to its proper speed. In an instant, the big, well-toned man fell to the ground, unconscious, and his lackeys followed suit, running away just as Weiss predicted.

"Wow Weiss! That was awesome! You moved even faster than me!" Ruby was starstruck by Weiss' new ability, being affected by the glyph like everybody else. She never saw what it was like to move that fast from the outside, only having her own perspective on the matter, and seeing Weiss do it truly impressed her. "So, how does it feel to be the second member of the 'Lightspeed club'?" She jokingly asked. Weiss tried to answer, but before she could open her mouth, the abuse of her own semblance caused her to faint, and she collapsed again, this time caught by Ruby.

"Well, I guess you're happy about it." Ruby gave her a kiss on the forehead while she carried her to the export vehicle, and Weiss smiled.


	36. Fighting For Our Beliefs

Blake woke up in the morning to an empty dorm. Her lover, Yang, was already out on her usual morning routine, and by now Blake assumed she would be in her meditation session. The other two members of her team, Ruby and Weiss, were sent by Glynda on what she figured was a secret mission of sorts, having told neither her nor Yang any of the details. She decided to just leave it at that, and went outside of her dorm, only to see Jaune standing in the hallway.

"Good morning, Jaune." She greeted her friend.

"Morning." He greeted back. "Hey, Blake, any idea where Ruby is? I wanted to ask her if she wanted to spar in today's combat lesson."

"She left with Weiss on a mission last night. I don't know exactly when will they return." As Blake said that, curiosity started to pop in her mind. Last night, before the two left, Ruby and Weiss made special care not to spill any details about their mission, which was a little odd. The team long forwent any form of secrecy amongst them, and they would discuss each mission as a team, and while she could understand Weiss acting discreet, Ruby was a completely different story, and she wondered what could possibly be so secret even SHE had to stay quiet about it. "I was just about to go ask Glynda about the matter, actually."

"Great! If you see her, tell her I asked, okay?" He ran off, Nora and Ren exiting their room as well, and he waved Blake goodbye for the moment.

"Okay!" She called back, and went on her way. She wasn't feeling particularly hungry that morning, and decided to skip breakfast, or at the very least eat later, when she felt like it. Blake toured through the halls of Beacon, and glanced towards the new CCT. She saw as the droids carried out chunks of metal from the bullhead, melted them down on the spot, and poured the liquid metal into molds, creating the plates for the tower right there. It was a little unorthodox of a method, but so far, things have been going well, so she didn't pay any special attention to it. As she walked towards the library, where Glynda's temporary office resided, she noticed Winter, Weiss' sister, sitting on a chair nearby, reading a book.

"Good morning." Blake turned to her. Winter noticed her presence, and turned towards her. Blake could see a hint of discomfort in her eyes. Something was off, and it only served to deepen her desire to find out what.

"Good morning." Winter nodded slightly. "Are you looking for Glynda?"

"I am, but I believe you could help me as well." Blake decided to jump on the opportunity. "Do you have any idea where Weiss is?"

The mention of her sister made Winter cringe a tiny bit. Many wouldn't have noticed, but Blake's faunus eyes were sharper, and she made note of the subtle movement. "N-No. I do not, though she is supposed to return soon. By now their mission should have been dealt with, so they are probably on their way back."

"I see…" Blake studied Winter for any further clues, but to no avail. Other than definitely letting on something was suspicious about the mission, Blake still couldn't figure what it was specifically.

"Well, in any event, I must be off. I have a meeting with the engineers soon, and I can't be late." Winter got up and headed out. Blake went to the office's door, only to see it was locked, meaning there was already a meeting taking place in there. She decided to eavesdrop on them, and snuck her way around the wooden walls, finding a secluded spot on which she could place her ears. Like many faunus whose animalistic trait was ears, Blake's hearing was on the same level of a her animal, a cat for this matter, meaning her hearing was actually quite superb compared to her human friends. She didn't broadcast the ability often, keeping this a strategical secret for herself, and listened as the people inside the office droned on.

"Why are they not back yet?! This was supposed to be a simple infiltration mission!" She heard Glynda almost yell inside.

"Come on, I'm sure they're alright." Qrow tried to reassure her. "And even if they were spotted, that's why we sent Ruby and Weiss along, remember?"

"I know, but still. If they were compromised, how the hell are we going to explain any of this to Blake and Yang?" Now Blake was more curious than ever.

"We might not have to." Oobleck turned the two's attention to the window, apparently seeing something. Blake had no idea what could they have possibly seen, so she went to the closest window to her that wasn't within the office's boundaries, only to see a small hovercraft, piloted by a military droid, heading through the main courtyard towards Beacon. Penny, heavily colored in dark blues and blacks, hovered around it, and when it parked, she could see Neo, Ruby and Weiss leaving it, Weiss looking worn out and Ruby helping her walk towards the dorms. Blake quickly turned her attention back to the wall.

"By god, what happened to them? They look like they just took on the entirety of the White Fang by themselves." Blake blinked for a moment, not sure if she heard them correctly. _What does the White Fang have to do with this?_ She wondered and listened on.

"Judging by Weiss' attire, I assume that's exactly what they did." Oobleck answered her. "Usually, I'd suggest letting them rest, but if they had to fight all way through them, we need to know what happened, as soon as possible. If the White Fang are going back to their terrorist ways, we have to act, as soon as we can." Blake's couldn't believe her ears. If what she heard was right, than that meant they were going on a White Fang related mission, and Blake wasn't sure how to react to that. Though she was no longer a member of the group, or even associated herself with them, she still felt great empathy towards those who stayed there after Adam's death. In her eyes, everyone deserved protection and care, faunus or human, but the faunus needed it more at the moment. Perhaps in Vale things were a little better, the chaos unifying the two races against the common threat of the grimm, but in the other kingdoms, Blake had a feeling nothing much changed. People were still cruel and uncaring, and as long as a single faunus was being bullied for its race, she would be there to protect them. That being said, she couldn't leave the situation as it was, and decided to wait until the rest of her team would enter the office, and hear the report in full. Soon enough, Ruby, Weiss, Neo, and Penny each entered the office doors, and Glynda locked them up from inside, as Blake continued to eavesdrop. She heard about their mission to infiltrate the White Fang's new base, and find out about their plans, and how they were gunning for the faunus children in the original camp, seeing as the security there wasn't as tight as it was in Beacon. What she heard shocked Blake. She knew they were an extremist group, but even the White Fang under Adam's regime wouldn't resort to kidnapping children, at least from what she remembered of them. _Then again, he did grow more violent ever since I disappeared…_ She wondered to herself what could drive a man to such unspeakable acts. It was sad, really, to see how his group continued his legacy with such zealotry, and she couldn't help it but pity them. She felt that she had to do something, but this time, she couldn't rely on her lover or the rest of her team to help her. This time, Blake would have to act on her own. It was still a little tough for her, having hung on her friend's help for so long, but now, it was clear to her. She stared at Wilt & Blush, still hanging on her hips, and thought about how Adam, the old Adam, would act. The Adam in her memories was the gentle teacher that brought her into the White Fang. The Adam that first helped her to learn how to fight, and gave her purpose in her life. She no longer resented the man for what he had become, rather accepted the memory of what he was in his steed.

 _I assume it's time, then, huh?..._ She pondered to herself as she left the office area, heading to the dorms to prepare herself.

* * *

The moment night fell, Blake headed out. Yang was already sleeping peacefully, and while she made a sour face when she noticed Blake not coming into bed quite yet, she didn't complain. It was common for her or for Yang to come to the bed at different times, unlike Ruby and Weiss who were practically synchronized in their sleeping hours, so she didn't have a hard time faking a midnight stroll as a passable excuse. She already hid some supplies in a secret place in Beacon, taking them before she went, and thus, Blake started to march towards Vale. She had no idea how she would there and return in the span of a few hours, but it didn't bother her. She wasn't running away, neither from Beacon nor the White Fang, and it was finally time for her to settle the score with her own past. As she walked through the courtyard, Blake felt that someone was watching her sneak by. Unlike the old camp, Glynda decided that while within Beacon, sentries keeping watch were less of a necessity, and thus, less shifts were issued, allowing Blake to roam free.

"Who goes there?!" She finally called out to the shadows, unable to contain her suspicion. After a short minute, a small figure stepped out of the dark.

"You…" Blake narrowed her eyes as Neo stepped in front of her, looking serious and grim.

"So, what do you want?" Blake didn't have time for Neo's shenanigans. She had no idea why would Roman's disciple follow her around, and she didn't care enough to find out, as long as Neo wouldn't try to stop her. Though, from the look on her face, Blake assumed this wasn't the case. "So? What is it?" Blake questioned her again, and Neo didn't respond. Blake looked at her, and Neo's body language told her she figured what Blake was planning to do.

"You can't stop me, Neo." Blake turned away from her and continued to walk. Neo ran in front of her again, and implied she should follow her.

"…Fine. But you better make this quick." All Blake wanted was to get Neo off her back. If it meant seeing whatever Neo wanted to show her, then so be it. The two walked through the empty courtyards, headed towards the construction site of the CCT. The droids were still working, having no need to sleep, though they did not use any of the power tools they had of did anything else noisy. Suddenly, Neo pulled Blake behind a wall, as she saw Penny fly around, hanging around the other work droids. It seemed as though Penny enjoyed watching them work, some form of primal subroutine inside her compelled her to see stuff being completed, and it made her happy to a degree. Neo and Blake continued to sneak by them all, now having to deal with Penny's eyes not spotting them by mistake, until they reached the bullhead itself, and Neo signaled for Blake to wait there. She went inside, and shortly after, came back with another one of the hovercrafts that the military brought with them. For whatever reason, Neo wanted to help Blake get to Vale's city.

"Why are you doing this?" Blake questioned her.

"Like me, your mentor is dead." Neo stated. "But unlike me, you have the chance to make amends. I can't let you waste it."

Blake looked at her, and saw a glimpse of sympathy in Neo's eyes.

"Thank you."

Blake took the small vehicle and headed out in Vale's direction.

* * *

Blake arrived in Vale. It was already late at night, but nonetheless, she was ready to face her inner demons, and confront the White Fang. She already knew of their plan, and for the good of everyone, she couldn't let it come to pass. However, another part of her resisted: A part that still sympathized with the group, and didn't want to take them head on, but Blake pushed forwards, determined to make things right. After a short hour of searching, she finally noticed the familiar uniforms of the group, skittering around in the midst of night, and followed them back to their headquarters. She saw as the group's ranks managed to stay relatively large, even with the passing of their former leader, and watched as its many members gathered outside the front entrance, apparently being given a speech by the current leader. The burly man stood before them, his large chainsaw blade hung on his shoulder, and his trimmed, black hair and face covered by his grimm mask.

"BROTHERS! SISTERS! HEAR ME!" He called to the group, and they roared with an almost infectious enthusiasm.

"Last night, those wretched humans from Beacon launched an attack right on out base! They managed to severely injure one of our lieutenants, and even further, heard out plans to liberate the faunus children from their hold! BUT WE WON'T GO SILENTLY INTO THE NIGHT! WE ARE THE WHITE FANG! AND ONLY WE KNOW TRUE JUSTICE!"

The crowd cheered on, as Blake's heart pounded harder and harder.

"Thus, I have decided to advance our plans! We will strike at our enemies tomorrow at sunrise!" His decision sent shivers through Blake. Things were going much faster than she planned, and soon, she would have to either act, or hold her tongue.

The commander removed his mask. She could see the many scars he hid beneath it, and he continued.

"When Adam Taurus first requited me to the White Fang, I was a weakling, barely able to defend myself. He gave me a new life, and thus, I have discarded my old self, and created a new persona from the ashes of the old! I implore you to do the same! Reach out, and grasp who you truly are!" He closed his free hand to a fist, and raised it up high.

"MY NAME IS COMMANDER BANESAW! AND THIS WILL BE THE NIGHT THE WHITE FANG WILL BE REMEMEBERED FOR!" He called, and his followers went wild with bloodlust. Blake only sat in her hiding place, and thought about his words. Like him, Adam approached her at the day, and offered her a new life. However, the Adam that approached her and the one that came to Banesaw were two completely different people. He only saw the animal, while she saw the man.

Blake couldn't take this any longer. She slowly got out of her hiding place, and stepped forth, making her presence known to all of them. The White Fang members who saw her first came to attack her in rage, yelling about her being a traitor, but before any of them could come at her, Banesaw stopped them with his booming voice, and walked before her himself.

"You return." He addressed her. "Why? Why do mock us with your existence! You have lost any spec of sympathy from us, you filthy traitor!" He continued his shouting and cursing, and all the while, Blake stood her ground, listening to every line of hatred that came out of his mouth.

"Well?! Have you got nothing to say?!" He screamed, and finally, she opened her mouth.

"I am here," She paused for a moment, "to stop you."

Banesaw stopped for a moment. "I see." He sneered at her, and snapped his fingers, the other members walking to the sideline, and creating a circle for them. He stepped back, and pulled his swords, prepared for combat.

"Than if you truly believe you can, strike me down, just like you did Adam."

That last part hit a nerve in Blake's heart. She could run, and she knew that very well. It would even be a more favorable option, as she saw it. But deep down, she knew it was not really a possibility. She only got so far by facing herself, and fighting head on. This was the very reason she dropped her bows a long time ago, and stopped hiding her faunus heritage. This was her time to shine, to finally prove to herself that her ideals were not just borrowed from someone else. She readied Gambol Shroud, and charged towards Banesaw.

The man was strong. Far stronger than her, in fact. While Blake moved nimbly though his attacks, she could almost feel the sheer ferocity of his strikes cut her skin. If he actually managed to hit her, Blake assumed the fight would almost instantly be over. He came at her, swinging and slashing, and Blake was stuck on the defensive, having to use her semblance primarily to dodge. Finally, Banesaw stepped a little too far, giving Blake the window for a counterattack. She swung Gambol Shroud at his back, but Banesaw was somehow able to see though her, and crouched down, avoiding the attack, while simultaneously swiping her with his leg, Blake jumping out of the way. She started to go on the attack, and focused her aura, creating the many reflections of herself around her. She looked jittery and glitchy, and to Blake, It felt like she was constantly torn apart from all directions, her sensitivity to her surroundings amplified. In this state, she barely needed to focus on creating a physical clone, as she put herself on the edge at all times, and she sent them at Banesaw, three or four at a time. He was a little surprised at first, but soon, readjusted to this advancement in the battle, and slew her clones, one after one, each strike more brutal then the last. Blake decided to get in there directly, and surrounded herself with several reflections, surrounding Banesaw from all directions. The clones attacked him over and over, slowly weakening him, as Blake proved why her title was the Army of One: While not being as physically powerful, she could alone take down opponents far stronger than her, by her sheer force of will. Banesaw finally had enough, and began to spin his chainsaw blade in place, dissipating any clone that even came close to him. Blake lounged at Banesaw directly, and the two clashed, sending a shockwave at everyone around them.

"How dare you even carry his weapon?!" Banesaw shouted at her, and his eyes wondered towards the Adam's sword, strapped to her. Blake took them at the day, as a memento of her former teacher, yet ever since, she did not have the courage to actually unsheathe them. She felt doing so would condemn her to the same horrible fate of her mentor. However, his words once again stroke deep within her soul. She looked at his determined face, hidden beneath the mask, and for a moment, she thought she saw a tiny glimpse of Adam reflect back at her. He may have been the disciple of the monster he had become, but Adam did impart some of the wisdom she saw in him at the day into Banesaw. He fought for his beliefs, and no one else's.

Blake jumped back, and put Gambol Shroud back. If she wanted to show them her resolve, she would have to break the mold, and she grabbed Wilt & Blush, holding them in her hand.

"Oh no you DON'T!" Banesaw charged. Either from respect for his leader, or from sheer rage, he couldn't let Blake defile the last vestige of Adam with her hands. Blake took a deep breath, gathered all the courage she had in her, waited for the right moment, and pulled.

And the crowd froze as Wilt and the chainsaw blade clashed.

The hilt felt weird for her. Blake never expected it to be so smooth, yet intuitive. The Blade felt weightless, and Blake took a short second to readjust her stance to it. On the other end, Banesaw's expression quickly turned to anger and rage, and once again he dashed at her, ready to saw her head off. Another trait he inherited from him. Blake prepared to take him head on, the dust blade shimmering in the moonlight. Just as Banesaw came, she made a quick cut, slashing him directly, and knocking him back. She circled him again, her clones now holding copies of Wilt & Blush instead of Gambol Shroud. And came in for another attack. Banesaw, in his enraged state, merely swung his sword wildly all over the place, killing the clones, but some of them got through, and managed to hurt him. It was a slow process, only made harder due to his massive body and toughness, but Banesaw was weakening.

Banesaw raised his weapon, and hit the ground, sending a shockwave all around him, and knocking back all the clones. Blake too was thrown off, and he used this chance to dash towards her, and grab her by the throat.

"IT'S OVER!" He shouted, and his grip tightened, chocking Blake to death. She didn't have long to think, her air running out, and she opened her mouth.

"Then at least I'll die for what I believe in, not something someone ELSE forced me to." She said between wheezes and grasps for air. All of a sudden, Banesaw lost his hold, and he dropped her, stepping back. Something in what she said triggered something within him, and he calmed down.

"And what do YOU know about beliefs?!" He asked angrily. "The humans took everything from me! My house, my family…" She could feel his gaze pierce her soul. "But I could trust him! We all could! Adam Taurus was a great man, whom I would have followed to death…" His voice became lower.

"And you KILLED him." He raised his weapon, and the fight resumed, this time at a slower pace.

"I didn't want to!" Blake called back as they clashed. "But it had to be done!"

"Bullshit! You never saw him for who he truly was! Even now you hold his own weapon with tenderness he would never show to his enemies!" He pushed her back and jumped, bringing his weapon down at her. "Who are you to claim to be his student!"

"He changed!" Blake parried him, and jumped back, sending a clone at Banesaw, who tore it apart easily. "The Adam I knew had his thoughts! His Ideals! But he also had a moral compass!" She used her semblance to dash ahead, and attack Banesaw herself. "The Adam I knew knew where to stop!"

Banesaw blocked her, and razed the ground beneath him, sending chunks of earth at Blake's face. She moved out of the way, but a single boulder managed to hit her still, and she staggered back. Banesaw prepared to finish the fight, once and for all, but Blake was able to regain her senses in time, and she avoided his stab with an afterimage, and jumped on his back. His skin felt scaly to her, and she wasn't sure she could even pierce it, but nonetheless, she had to try, while the enraged faunus attempted to shake her off.

Blake raised Wilt, and sent down against his skin, going through it like butter.

"GHAAH!" Banesaw yelped and collapsed. Gambol shroud could have never done something like that, and Blake had to make sure he was still breathing, thankfully missing any vital organs. She stood on top of him, and raised her weapon.

"Members of the White Fang!" She shouted with the visage of a lioness. The faunus around her didn't even try to interfere her, seeing as she just beat their leader. "You don't have to do this! You can strive for equality, but not through violence!"

"Then what DO we do?!" One of them shouted back, and the others joined in.

"Nothing else works!"

"We've tried words! They mean nothing!"

"Who are you to know any better, you traitor!"

Blake heard their calls, and they were right, to some degree. These were the thoughts that drove the White Fang down its current path.

"Then ACT!" She retorted. "Act, but not against man!" She pointed to her cat ears. "I used to hide my true self everyone around me! But now, I no longer have to, because they accept me for who I am!" She continued. "But they didn't do it because they were afraid or beaten! They did because I PROVED myself an equal! I stayed and fought! Against the grimm! Against Cinder!" At this point, the White Fang have gone silent. "And I will stay to fight against the many horrors that will follow!" She finally lowered her voice, and stepped off of Banesaw.

"And I will protect my friends, even if it means having to go against my own kind."

With that, Blake left them. She meant every word, and now she could clearly see the mistakes of the White Fang laid bare: She didn't think they were evil, to any degree. Their idea of acceptance through action was the right direction. They, however, took this in the wrong way, and decided to fight the world, instead of helping it. As she went towards her hovercraft, wanting to head back to Beacon, she didn't a single voice speak. She managed, on her own, to leave the entirety of the White Fang that remained speechless. She had no idea what about the other branches, existing in the other kingdoms, but the moment the CCT will be finished, she had a feeling the group will change, on a global scale.

Blake mounted the vehicle and left, heading towards Beacon. As she rode, memories of the many speeches Adam used to give the White Fang and her passed through her mind.

She took one last look at Wilt & Blush, sheathed and resting beside her, as she drove off into the sunrise.


	37. The Question

Ruby, Weiss, and Yang woke up early. Very early. Since the meeting yesterday, Glynda came to the conclusion that the White Fang were a serious problem they needed to deal with, and that hiding this information from Blake and Yang was pointless. As they got ready for departing towards the camp in Vale, Yang looked distressed: Blake hasn't returned all night long. Sure, sometimes Blake or Yang herself would come to bed really late, but this was the first time her lover didn't return at all. Yang put on her combat gear and sighed, seeing Blake's outfit wasn't there.

"Don't worry." Ruby tried to comfort her. "I just know that Blake is still around." She thought for a second and raised her eyebrow. "Wait, Yang! Can't you just trace her using your aura vision?"

"Oh yeah..." Yang hasn't really thought about it so far, and raised her Dust Celica, closing her eyes. Amongst the many auras that appeared before her, she already knew Blake's very well, so finding her was quite easy, even from memory. Soon, she noticed that indeed, Blake's aura was close, being somewhere near Beacon's parameter. She wasn't sure what Blake was doing there, but nonetheless, she was relieved to see her girlfriend was alright.

"You found her, right? Told you she was fine! Anyway, we need to hurry up to her and tell her about the mission. She needs to prepare too." Ruby finally finished sharpening Crescent Rose and loading it with ammo, this time solely her own creation. With each dust bullet Ruby inserted into her scythe, she made a satisfied hum, and once she was done she got up and left, Weiss following her soon after. Yang stayed in the dorm for a few more minutes, checking the Dust Celica for any scratches and cracks, and fixing them. While her aura reacted to the dust arm the same way it responded to her flesh, healing it quickly and closing cracks in it over time, sometimes Yang would have to manually treat it, and fix the Dust Celica herself. It was a lengthy process, going with her aura over the crystal and sensing every minute crook and cranny that remained there, while covering them with additional dust. Luckily, she felt through the Dust Celica like she would with a regular hand, so finding these was like searching for a small bruise on the skin. She fixed the last spot, and tiny fragment stuck in between her fingers, and headed out, joining Weiss and Ruby, as they went to Glynda's office, for the mission briefing. As they walked through Beacon, Yang started to notice something ominous: There was something in the air, a certain feeling apparent in everyone's aura, one that has been there ever since the military arrived to help them. She looked inside her own aura as well, and as she peered down, she noticed it as well, hiding in a corner of her mind.

What's going to happen after they are done?

Yang didn't really think about the near future as of late. So far, she and everyone she knew were much more concerned with the present, and what they had to do in order to restore Vale. However, she completely neglected to give some consideration as to what comes next, after they have succeeded. It was subtle, but now that Yang managed to notice it, she couldn't un-see in anymore: Everyone around her, the students, the teachers, the children that came with them, even the soldiers that came from Atlas and the engineers, all had the same question glued to the back of their mind. The tension was harder to swallow then she imagined, and soon, Yang found herself repeating the question over and over in her head, all the while pretending nothing was wrong. She was easily affected by the emotions of those around her, which only served to worsen her condition, and Yang had to forcefully shut her inner voice out, much to her discomfort. She felt like she was cutting a living part of herself, but it had to be done if she was to get some piece of mind. She imagined how Weiss reacted to the situation, and suddenly noticed that the former heiress was the ONLY one that did not think about the matter. In fact, Weiss' soul was its usual, cold, yet tranquil self, seeing little to no change brought from the outside. Yang concentrated on Weiss, and the more she connected to the soothing chill that emanated from her, the more Yang felt the burning question subside, and she was able to resume her normal train of thought. They arrived at Goodwitch's office, and entered, seeing the usual suspects already there.

"So, is everyone here?" Glynda asked before starting.

"Everyone sans Blake. But she's around, and we could bring her up to speed on the way." Yang answered, and it seemed to satisfy Glynda.

"Then let us begin." She said, and began her explanation. She already figured out that the White Fang were probably going to hasten their plans, considering that her small team beat them up two days prior, and so, Glynda already made up her mind to prepare for the worst-case scenario, and head out to Vale right away, taking the larger team with her, plus a group of the top students they currently had. She even argued with Winter, trying to convince her to give them all a ride in the bullhead, at least taking them to Vale as fast as she could, and after a lot of negotiations, she managed to convince her, and preparations were already under way. All she had to do was tell her huntsmen what they were going to face this time, and debrief them on the situation of the White Fang, the information brought to her by Neo, who gave a small smirk when Glynda started to give every last detail she managed to dig out during her little infiltration, showing some pride in her work. After Glynda had finished the basic rundown of the situation, she gave each smaller team the time to finish their last affairs they had for the day.

"You all have three hours before we leave. Meet me at the bullhead at the designated time, and we'll be off. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to mobilize the students as well." She left the office, and each person got up, going about their own business, getting ready for the big showdown.

"So, should we go get Blake?" Yang asked her team as they headed into the hall.

"Yes." Weiss responded, and they went towards the entrance of Beacon, where Yang pinpointed Blake to be.

The trio arrived at Beacon's courtyard, where they waited for Blake to come. As Glynda alerted more and more students for the coming skirmish, Yang felt more and more tense again, and Weiss' cold aura was becoming less effective. Her aura sight and sense melded deeper and deeper into her regular senses as time went, that Yang felt like she was on the edge, all the time. Sometimes, she would even lose sense of the physical world, seeing only the many auras before her, but for now, she was able to sustain it, and to her friends and family, she looked like the same Yang, the dustmaster Yang. So many people depended on her, and Yang knew she couldn't let them down, so she put on a brave face, while trying to deal with the increasing bleeding effect. Soon enough, the constant stress that put her on the verge of snapping made her notice Blake's aura, as it came sooner and sooner, and while she couldn't see her girlfriend straight up, Yang felt like she didn't need to: She could read her aura, loud and clear, and while from afar she could only make out its location, now that Blake was a lot closer to her, Blake sensed a change in it: Blake's primal fear was gone. Completely. Replaced by something she could only recognize as pure resolve. This made Yang happy, to some degree, seeing her lover freed from her crippling instinct, but at the same time, Yang shuddered at the thought as to what could possibly have gone last night that triggered such a change in her. Blake soon came into the physical view, riding a one-man hovercraft, and she parked it a pretty long distance away from them, walking the rest of the way on foot. The more she got closer, the more Yang could see what happened to her, and it scared her.

Blake's hands, feet, and Wilt & Blush were covered in blood.

She surveyed Blake's body, and seeing as she had no severe wounds on her, Yang realized the blood wasn't hers. The stress from everyone else, plus seeing Blake like that, finally got to Yang, and she dashed forwards, reaching Blake in mere seconds, and jumping on her for a tight hug.

"Whoa! Yan-" Blake didn't even finish her sentence before the blonde huntress jumped her, and the two fell to the ground. "It's okay, Yang. I'm okay." She noticed Yang was sobbing, for reason unbeknownst to her,

Yang took a solid minute to calm down, and she looked into Blake's eyes, reeking of desperation. "Then where were you?! And what is UP with all the blood?!" Yang was experiencing an emotional storm, which was a pretty rare sight as of late, and Blake hugged her back, letting her lover calm down.

"I did what I had to do." She said with the full might of her resolve, and continued. "I faced the White Fang."

Yang's expression shifted to shock in an instant. "You WHAT?! Blake, how could you?! You know how dangerous that could have been!"

"But I won!" Blake called back, and got up, taking Wilt & Blush in her hands. She unsheathed the katana, the red dust blade also covered in blood, and Yang could see Blake's self-confidence only boost itself.

"I faced my past! And defeated them! Now they won't attack Vale, and everyone could be safe!" Blake made her claim.

"But we were going to fight them! You could have waited!" Ruby interjected. She cared about her entire team deeply, and seeing Blake act on her own like she did was very unlike her.

"If I waited, more people would have gotten hurt!" Blake called. "This was going to become another war, Ruby. But this time, it won't be against the creatures or grimm, or someone allied with them. This time, it was going to be people VS people, and every single death that would have resulted from it would seat on OUR conscious!" Blake was more and more sure of herself. "By fighting and beating their leader, I gave them a second chance, Ruby. I didn't kill him either." She looked at her hands, only now noticing the blood on them. The adrenaline from the fight left Blake partially unaware of the minor details her eyes captured, and now looked back up at her team, only to see Yang's and Ruby's expressions of dread. "I only injured him. Made sure to miss any vital organs either, but that's beside the point!"

"Then what WAS the point of going one on one with the current leader of the White Fang without concerning any of us?!" Weiss exclaimed. Even she, using only a tactical mind, could see that going alone was the most unfavorable thing Blake could have done. If she got severely hurt, it would break Yang's heart, and Weiss didn't want to see another one go hollow like her.

"Because I had to!" Blake tried to explain herself. "This isn't something I deduced or researched, Weiss. This was something I KNEW. I HAD to face the White Fang, and I had to do ALONE." She looked at Weiss sternly.

"I was the only way I could redeem myself, in my own eyes."

It was evident what Blake was referring to. When she killed Adam, it was by total fluke, forced onto her by his irrational rage and rush on adrenaline inside her. Now, the Blake that stood before them was a changed person. She felt stronger, and more determined, in her personal mission to protect everyone, even if it included have to fight a few in order to serve the whole. Blake's entire stance changed as well, and she now held Wilt & Blush in her hands, instead of Gambol Shroud, which rested firmly in its sheath on her side. Blake took the blade again, and swung it in the air next to her, the blood flying off of it and splattered on the ground before she took the sword and returned it to its shotgun sheath.

"Now I am really ready to do whatever it takes if it means protecting you." She looked into Yang's eyes, and Yang could see that besides the determination, Blake was brimming with love. But unlike Yang's, this love was a lot more personal. Of course, Yang really did love Blake, however, a part of her held the same type of love towards the entire world of Remnant. Every tree and river were as sacred to her as every man, woman, and child, faunus or not. Looking at Blake at that moment reminded Yang of her personal bond with her, and she felt her love towards her tighten and strengthen, and she approached Blake, and held her close.

"Yang, I..." Blake blushed a little, and the two kissed, Ruby not able to tear her eyes away, and Weiss looking with her regular indifference, while a slight hinge of jealousy managed to sneak outside of her heart. She wished she could be the same way with Ruby, but so far, besides a small kiss here and there, they haven't really done anything. Seeing her teammates make out like that out in the open, and with no shame whatsoever, only made Weiss want to do that with Ruby even more, and she pulled Ruby as well. If she wanted to cement her relationship with her, Weiss knew she had to take more drastic measures, and she looked deep into Ruby's eyes, desire burning in hers.

"Weiss, what are y-"

"Just shut up and kiss me." Weiss let her inhibitions go, and she pulled Ruby in. She felt her desire for the team leader only amplify, and she kept Ruby in her embrace, even after Blake and Yang broke theirs. After a solid minute of this, Ruby forced her way out, having to breathe.

"..." Ruby didn't know what to say. Weiss never acted like this, and seeing her be this assertive was definitely a new, yet welcomed sight. All the proof of her healing process. Ruby smiled, and came close to Weiss, returning a kiss as well.

"Next time, let's do it together, okay?" She asked, and Weiss managed to pull a genuine smile, which impressed even Blake and Yang, who saw as more and more colors filled her soul, at least for the time being.

"Okay." She held Ruby's hand as they walked to Glynda, to report how the mission was pointless at that point, seeing as the White Fang were beaten.

"So, all of this is pointless?" Glynda tried to make sure she understood.

"Pretty much." Yang answered. "According to Blake, she took care of their leader, a big guy naming himself Banesaw."

"After what I told them, I doubt any of the White Fang would actually attack." Blake continued. "Even Banesaw. I may not have killed him, but he's out of the picture for a while."

"I suppose I should be grateful for you, Blake." Glynda started. "But that was a very irresponsible thing for you to do. I won't punish you or anything, but please, take this to mind: You don't have to do everything alone. You have friends. That's what they're here for."

"Sorry Glynda, but this was something I have to deal with alone." Blake spoke, and Glynda felt her newfound courage flowing off her voice and turned to her.

"Again, I won't stop you. But I only ask you consider us as well."

Blake took a moment to think about this, and finally opened her mouth. "Fine. I will."

"Excellent. Now I have to deal with this... Anyway, meet me at the bullhead in a few minutes. I'll announce the cancelation of the mission there, and hopefully, Winter won't be too mad..." Glynda left the room, a little pissed, as she probably went straight to the hanger, to deal with Winter.

"Well, all's well that ends well, huh?..." Ruby tried to relax, but Yang's expression was becoming more and more grim. That was quite the distraction, sure, but the worries about the future still bothered her. She tried to approach the situation more calmly this time, and opened her mouth,

"Not quite. We still have to figure out what are we going to do once the CCT is complete."

The rest of the team looked at her, not quite sure what did she mean by that.

"Well, of course, the very first move would be to request the official assistance of the other kingdoms in restoring Vale" Weiss was the first to answer. "After that, once we establish travel routes around Remnant on a global scale, we bring back as many of Vale's citizens as we can back to Vale, and begin the serious rebuilding of the city." Every word she spoke was a well-calculated thought, and it showed Weiss had a firm grasp on what she thought needed to occur. "In the end, when we have everything set, we reannounce Vale as a kingdom, and the world of Remnant could return to its former state. Meanwhile, the four of us, with the addition of team JNR, Penny, and Neo if she decides to join in, investigate the puppet master of Yang's mother," Yang cringed a bit from hearing Weiss mention her mother so nonchalantly. It was still a little touchy subject to her, but Weiss didn't see any of it, instead looking at the raw data. "Who, I assume, might have connections to Cinder Fall as well."

"What makes you say that?" Ruby wondered. The thought never came to her mind, and she wanted to hear Weiss' opinion on the matter.

"I assume that, seeing as both Cinder and Raven seemed to be impervious to grimm, none attacking them while they walked around. Also, considering Raven's soul was apparently gone," She turned to Yang, who nodded in approvement of that fact. "Which is something no piece of human technology is currently capable of achieving, at least not without killing the person, the only logical solution I can come up with given all the data present is that Raven made some connections to the grimm, and that whatever force that drove Cinder to attack Vale now guides her as well."

"...huh" Ruby didn't have a lot to say in return. Weiss' argument was well stated and explained, and so far, Ruby couldn't find any faults in it. Sure, it was kind of a stretch putting both Cinder and Raven in the same faction, but Ruby didn't have any better suggestions.

"That easy to say. Not so much to actually do." Yang retorted. She too thought Weiss was correct in her reasoning. But unlike Weiss, Yang had a burning heart, and the ability to feel and even slightly be affected everyone around her, and she knew it wasn't going to be that easy pulling all that off. "I just have an awful feeling something horrible is going to happen once that tower is complete..." She stared at the CCT tower and saw that by then, the droids were already quarter way through construction. The metal plates already started to pile on top of each other, and Yang could see that the first floor was already being built, made from the same material. It was a little unsettling to look at, looking so different than the environment around it, but Yang pushed the discomfort away, knowing it was for the best. In the end, even if the whole thing made her feel nervous, it was for the good of everyone, and she could feel happy at least for that.

They went outside and gathered at the bullhead, where the many other students Glynda gathered for the mission came to hear all the details, only to be surprised to hear that the mission was canceled. Some breathed with relief, not having to deal with the terrorist group. Some became a little angry, looking to prove their skills alongside the walking legends that were team RWBY. While they didn't like to discuss this, each of them got her own little cult following, with many of the students were looking up to them as role models when it came to being a huntsman or huntress. A few of the students didn't really care wither way, and the group dispersed, each student going back to their dorm to return whatever they packed back.

"Well, I hope you're happy, Glynda." Winter stepped from behind her. "These things actually take some time to power up, you know. Now we wasted perfectly good liquefied dust fuel on absolutely nothing."

"I'm sorry Winter. Really, I do." Glynda turned to her. "But there was no point in going. The White Fang are defanged for now, pardon the pun, and there's no need for any bloodshed. Isn't this what the general always taught you?"

Winter's thoughts drifted towards general Ironwood for a few moments. So far, she secretly made notes on everything important that crossed her path in Beacon, from the staff's schedule to the various lessons that happened every day, even going as far as to memorize the meetings she participated in and transcribing them later. She was following her orders to a tee, and soon, the CCT will be complete, and she could advance towards phase two of the general's plan: Taking Penny back to Atlas. However, parts of Winter started to doubt the general. She saw how happy Penny was, hanging with her friends and just flying around, having a good time, and she felt it was wrong to just rip her away from all of this. Even if James refused to acknowledge this, Penny had an aura, and a soul, and by the military's own code of honor, a living being deserved as much respect from one as they would respect themselves. On top of that, kidnapping Penny would ruin whatever chance she has to be with Weiss, and Winter didn't just want to sever their fleeting bond. She was torn apart by her inner struggle of loyalty against conscience, and for now, she felt herself stuck between the iron and a hard place. She shook the rogue feeling for now, and recomposed herself, keeping up appearances.

"Yes, but this was still no way to handle the situation." She paused for a moment. "But for now, I am willing to overlook this." Glynda was older than her, so it felt weird to talk to her like that, but Winter knew of whose behalf she was speaking, and thus, she had to make herself sound as official as possible. "Let us head in for now. I believe lunch is served."

"Y-Yes. Come on girls, let's get something to eat." Glynda, Winter, and RWBY gathered and headed to the cafeteria, the whole story finally behind them, at least for now.

It was a usual sparring lesson. Glynda kept calling each student, pair by pair, and the sound of weapons clashing was heard through the amphitheater for a few hours now. The last pair finished their fight, and cleared the arena, before Glynda looked at her randomized list, and called forth the next couple.

"Next: Yang Xiao Long VS Blake Belladonna!"

The two exchanged glares at each other, and got up, jumping down to the ground, preparing to fight. While Yang flexed the Dust Celica and summoned the Blaze Celica, looking rather enthusiastic to test her skills against this new Blake that stood before her, she noticed that Blake reached out for Wilt & Blush, instead of Gambol Shroud, and held it up high, pointing the blade against her.

"Wait, Blake. Are you sure you're ready for this?" Yang wondered. She never thought the day would come when Blake would use her old mentor's weapon instead of hers, and Blake only gave her a serene, determined expression.

"Now more than ever."

The two smiled at each other, each empowered by the other's resolve, as the match began, and he dashed towards each other, ready to give it their all.


	38. Recall & Rebuild

And at last, the CCT was complete.

Team RWBY, JNR, Penny, and Neo stood to appreciate the modern marvel. The tower was gigantic, a spiral of chrome and bronze, that stretched to the very sky, even taller than Ozpin's original tower. On top of it, stood the transmitter Core brought from Atlas, which the engineers were working on, putting final adjustments and tweaking it, in preparation for the big day of its activation. Around them, many other students and adults stood and gasped in awe, never seeing anything like it in Vale before. To Yang, however, things were a little deeper than that. True, the completion of the tower meant people's attention from the burning question was diminishing, and so her own mood, affected by those around her, began to cheer up as well. Still, things still seemed off to her: The tower felt unnatural, its structure and design just not fitting the environment around it, at least to her. Nonetheless, when she looked at the rest of her team, she saw hope shine through their eyes, and their auras burned brighter than ever, even Weiss'.

As the days past, things began to calm down. Winter told them it would still be a little while longer until the core was ready to start, the thus, they were given a bit more time to think about what to do next. They had a few talks about this as a team, but so far, they couldn't think of any ideas as to where to start.

* * *

"I think we should ask Glynda." Ruby mentioned to the team while they were eating breakfast.

"Ask her about what?" Blake wondered.

"Well, something's been bothering me lately, a question I want an answer for." Ruby raised her eyes from the food and looked at her team. "I want to know what Ozpin knew about Cinder when he ran Beacon."

Yang and Blake looked at her, a little confused.

"That could be a wise move." Weiss agreed. "As we all remember, Ozpin was a very mysterious character. Even as a headmaster, he was willing to pull strings and take actions no sane man would ever approve of. For example, he actually SENT us on a mission far above our skill level so that we could look for clues about Roman and the White Fang at the day, and no one finds it suspicious?" Weiss brought up a good point. For a headmaster, Ozpin acted a lot less like a principle and more like an observer, watching, documenting, and willing to bend the law in order to get new points of data. This line of thought sent shivers through the rest of the team.

"Yeah, but we're talking about Ozpin here, Weiss." Yang tried to argue back. "We all knew him. He would nev-"

"Then name one personal thing you know about Professor Ozpin." Weiss cut her mid-sentence.

Yang struggled to find something unique she knew about him. To her, Ozpin was Ozpin, the old, yet quirky headmaster of Beacon, who saw great potential in each of them.

"He, really, liked, coffee?" She shrugged. That was the only thing that came to her mind at the moment.

"Do any of you even know his full name?" Ruby asked as well. This was the very thing that came to her mind when she first brought the subject up, although not in words. They all struggled to think of an answer, until finally giving up, not able to think of anything.

"See? Nothing." Weiss puffed her chest a little. Pride this time. The mere awareness of the emotion rising in her made feel it even stronger, and she stayed like that for a few seconds before coming back down to her regular pose.

"Well, then shall we?" Ruby put her fork down and got out if her chair, heading towards the library. Glynda didn't have the time yet to move all her stuff to the tower's office floor, so for now, she stayed in her makeshift HQ. After each of them finished her meal and got up, the team went as one to her office, and knocked on the door, noticing there was talking inside, before they all silenced, and Glynda went to open up for them

"O-Oh, hello, girls. Can I help you?" Glynda asked and tried to hide her nervousness.

"As a matter of fact, you can." Ruby and her team barged in and took a seat. Qrow and Oobleck, who were already inside, looked a little surprised to see Ruby and her team acting like this.

"Jeez kid, what's gotten into you?" Qrow asked, and Ruby looked him in the eye, showing her seriousness.

"We want to know what Ozpin knew about Cinder." She declared, and the room got silent. Qrow and Oobleck looked at each other, and an expression of worry formed on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Glynda tried to act coy, but Weiss didn't buy her act.

"Don't take us for fools, Glynda. Anyone with a brain can put two and two together and realize that Ozpin knew a lot more than he showed." Weiss said and put on a cold face. At times like these, she utilized her condition to its fullest, knowing how to seem as intimidating as she could. "For a headmaster, he either just really loved to act cryptically, or he knew. Knew things about the world that no one else should ever know. And I have a feeling it's the latter."

The room went silent again, until Qrow opened his mouth.

"Should we tell them?" He asked the other two. By now, Glynda and Qrow already filled Oobleck on all the details he wasn't told before, and this decision concerned him as much as it did them.

"We can't!" Glynda declared. "We took an oath to-"

"Fuck, the oath!" Qrow yelled back. "These kids went through hell itself, and without them, none of us would be sitting here, having this conversation!" He turned to Glynda directly. "At the very least, they deserve to know."

"About what?" Yang was bewildered as to who or what could possibly cause them all to try and keep it under wraps for so long.

Qrow looked at her, and while the other two looked not sure about whether or not to say anything, he decided they were ready.

"About Salem."

The very mention of the name brought discomfort for both Glynda and Oobleck. Whoever this Salem was, they didn't sound like a person to be trifled with.

"Salem?" Ruby asked, and Glynda started to explain.

"Well, since Qrow already said it, I might as well tell you all, but you have to swear, on everything you are, that this words will NOT leave this room. Some secrets were meant to stay that way." Glynda asked, and each of team RWBY nodded in agreement.

"You all know the creatures of grimm. They are destructive, malicious, feed off out anger and negative emotions, and ever since we rose as a species, they were there, gnawing at our feet."

"Yes, and?" Weiss sounded a little impatient.

"Well, Salem here is like the fucking queen of the hive." Qrow continued, and the group's jaws fell to the floor. The sheer fact that the grimm were not all chaotic, that there was a force driving them through the dark, was a game-changing fact.

"That's putting it bluntly." Glynda tried to expand. "Salem is not a leader to the grimm as she is a driving force for them. While she does appear to be intertwined with the monsters, she does not control the grimm per se, but rather, seems to be what points them at certain targets. Whenever she wants the grimm to focus on a specific place, that's what they'll do."

"But what about Cinder being a grimm?" Yang asked. It bothered her how could something so twisted sneak its way past everyone, and manage to hurt Vale from the inside.

"We expected her to control various and monstrous grimm" Oobleck answered her. "But a grimm shaped and acting like a human was not one of them, which led us to believe our knowledge of Salem is quite limited. "

"She is the very definition of evil," Glynda continued "cruelty and despair. She will stop at nothing until she has eradicated all of us, and she will use any means necessary in order to achieve that goal."

"But why?" Blake asked. As she saw, this Salem had a name, at least. The mere mention of it was something that hinted she at least had a body capable of thought, and that she might even be human.

"There are some things even Ozpin didn't know." Glynda replied.

"Than do you think that she is the one that controlled my mother?" Yang finally asked. Glynda and Qrow looked at each other, and Glynda went on.

"At first, I believed it was a third party, perhaps patriotically involved with her. But the more we talked about it, the more I began to think that perhaps she was the one who spoke to you directly."

"Does any of you even know what she looks like?" Ruby tried to investigate further.

"No, but I've seen many of the things she has in store for us." Qrow answered. "And let me tell you this: I don't NEED to know what she looks like in order to be one hundred percent sure that what we are dealing with here is NOT human." He sounded sure of himself.

"So what do we do?" Yang thought out loud. If this Salem had her mother under her thumb, that made her an enemy Yang would have to face. There was no way around it if that was the case.

"For now, there is not much we can do." Oobleck started. "From what we know, Salem is a schemer, and she will take her time in coming up with a plan to wipe us all out. The best we can plan for is contacting the other kingdoms, and ask for help while rebuilding Vale as fast as we can. Time is of the essence, and we have to be both careful and quick of we want to stabilize Remnant before Salem makes her next move." He concluded.

"Which means the moment the CCT is finished, we have to initiate plan recall." Glynda finished his sentence.

"Plan Recall?" Ruby asked. She had no idea what this plan was.

"We plan to use the restored communication channels to ask each kingdom to send back every refugee that want to return to Vale to us, including many of the students from your year."

"What DID happen to them?" The thought didn't actually enter Ruby's head up until that moment.

"When Vale fell, I decided to send as many students as I could to the other kingdoms so that at least their education wouldn't be tarnished staying here. Some wanted to stay and fight, but in the end, I managed to send all of them to Haven, Shade, and Atlas for the continuation of their school lives with the transportation left in Vale before everyone stopped coming here, either out of fear or disinterest." Glynda turned up to them. "But I believe it's time to call them back. We can now accommodate a much larger group of people, and with all the extra manpower around, we could rebuild Vale even faster."

The group went silent after that. No one had anything special to say, but the atmosphere was already dampened by the conversation the preceded. Ruby never expected to hear about something like Salem, let alone from Glynda and her very uncle Qrow. She looked out the window, and hoped that in the end, she could rest easy, knowing that things will be all right in the end.

* * *

The big ceremony for the grand activation of the CCT was underway. Of course, Ruby and her team were given a place of honor, along with the rest of their friends, as Winter gave a big, predictable speech, about looking into the future with a brave face and taking whatever fate throws at you head on. They all heard those words, a thousand times over, and even the students were beginning to yawn. After Winter had finished her premade speech, she gave the stand to Glynda, seeing as this wouldn't be a proper ceremony if the current leader of Vale gave her own words as well. Glynda took the microphone, started at the sea of students before her, and started her speech.

"I look at you all, and I see how much we improved in the last year." She began.

"All of you worked so hard, on yourselves, on each other, and while I did not include you in four-man teams, each of you proved they were more than capable of grouping up, and working together, in order to prevail. For this, I am impressed beyond measure." She paused for a moment.

"But unfortunately, things are not always happy, and mundane. Forces beyond our understanding still roam the world, and the people of Remnant must stand united, if we ever want to survive this long, endless night." Her voice became more and more enthusiastic and hopeful.

"I look at you, and I see regular people. Individuals who, in the old Beacon, would never have been accepted into it, living daily lives as civilians. And yet, each and every one of you showed me our old ways were wrong, and I will be the first to welcome each of you that decided to stay on the path of the huntsmen once Vale is rebuilt."

"And now you can fight!" Her voice rose even higher. "We can fight the grimm that threaten to kill us! You all had the strength, the will, and the determination to come this far, and I will not let any of you die before accomplishing your dreams!" She called even higher. "When I first established the small camp in the heart of Vale's city, I made a vow to protect and care for every child that came to my doorstep. I will continue to hold this vow, no matter what may come against us!" At this point, the crowd was on the edge of its seat, and people were listening to Glynda very eagerly.

"So rise with me! As we forge a new Vale out of the ruins of the old! And reclaim our home, by our own hands!" The crowd roared, and Glynda stepped down, having said her part. She felt it was enough, and that many of her students might want to stay now, and start their official training as huntsmen and huntresses. With that, Winter and Glynda cut the ribbons to the tower, while the engineers activated the tower's transmitter, returning long distance communication to the world.

* * *

In the weeks that followed, more and more refugees returned to Vale, mostly by airships. Alongside this, some serious construction finally began in Vale's central city, and apartment buildings for the populace were built, as well as new roads. The other kingdoms were more than happy to send them back, and every person that wanted to move to Vale was given the quickest transportation they could get. Amongst the welcoming party, Ruby and her team were an almost constant presence, put up to it by Glynda. As the internet returned, the many people in Vale that saw the battles with the dragon flooded it with the stories of team RWBY and their amazing feats, and they became viral very quickly, much to the team's dismay. Having a celebrity status was not always a fun thing to have, and each of them found it harder and harder to look for information online without someone noticing who they were.

Some faces they saw were familiar. Students from Beacon that returned, hearing the call to finally rebuild Vale. Some were not so much, as architects and other folks of the sort showed up as well, wanting to test their skills or just feeling it was the right thing to do. RWBY's job was mostly just to do a meet and greet, as many people found Yang's Dust Celica fascinating, and they got a ton of requests to see the girls in action. However, Glynda directly instructed them not to show off. The last thing she needed was a terrified civilian doing noise online, and damaging her kingdom-to-be's reputation. Glynda needed everything to be perfect, and that meant she had to play as safe as she could possibly be. As another bullhead landed before the team, Ruby gave a loud groan.

"Hahhhh, This is so BORING!" She was still a child at heart, and doing the same charade for the past month was really putting her down.

"Well, it's a necessary evil." Blake tried to reason. "As much as I don't like this as well, the civilians returning to Vale need to know this is now a safe place to be in, and who better to showcase this but the team that almost single-handedly took down the grimm dragon?"

"Trust me, none of us likes this." Yang joined in. She felt caged. Her morning time had to be cut short, with all the refugees coming all the time, and she barely had any time to meditate anymore. The only thing that kept her going was the knowledge this won't go on forever, and at some point, she could go back to her regular life.

"If you want any tips in showmanship, I can help." Weiss suggested, and they all refused. This was one of the few times her training as the Schnee heir played in her favor, and she was more than familiar with how to treat large crowds of who were essentially tourists to Vale in her eyes. During each presentation, she would take over the stage, while the rest of her team did nothing more than introduce themselves, leaving Weiss with the job of introducing the groups to Vale's current state and what they could expect while rebuilding was in process.

The group bickered on for a few minutes, as the bullhead's doors opened, and out of it, stepped yet another group of people they had to entertain for a short while, before moving to the next. However, this time, amongst the group, were a team of huntsmen they never expected to see: Team CFVY, lead by Coco Adel, followed by Velvet Scarlatina, Yatsuhashi Daichi, and Fox Alistair. The group soon noticed RWBY, and after the millionth time they had to put up the same show to the group of refugees, team CFVY stayed behind, wanting to talk to them.

"Wow, Yang. Your arm..." Coco stated, staring directly at her arm. Once the net was back, Coco heard nothing but rumors online about Yang's arm, and her title of dustmaster. Seeing the real Dust Celica made Coco very interested, and she examined the arm for a short while. "It actually looks pretty good. I like it." Everyone who knew anything about Coco knew she was a fashion diva. She always looked for something new to pique her interest, and it seemed that this time, it was Yang's dust arm.

"Umm, thanks." Yang shrugged. "But where have you been all this time?"

"Well, seeing as we were already in our third year in Beacon, Glynda insisted us and the other third years would be sent to the academies in the other kingdoms, and while we did want to stay and help, and stressed it was much more important, we became fully fledged huntsmen instead." Velvet explained. "And, now, we are officially huntsmen graduated from Shade!"

"So she sent you to Vacuo, huh?" Ruby wondered. "So, how's it like in there?"

"Not great." Coco started. "A lot of people became sort of depressed, huddling in their own houses, barely leaving." What Coco said fit perfectly to what Yang sensed whenever she looked at Vacuo's general direction. "The entire kingdom seemed to be more focused on its own survival, rather than look at the rest of the world, and while things have opened up a bit after the CCT was restored to its full function, I'm still not sure how much the residents of the kingdom are going to react to it all. Honestly, I'm sort of happy to be out of there. No good shops." The group laughed slightly at Coco's comment.

"By the way, do you mind if I take a few pictures?" Velvet was already with her camera out, preparing for what seemed like an entire photo shoot. Ruby and her team already knew about Coco's weapon, and how it related to her pictures, so each of them agreed to help her stock up on a few more pictures, and Velvet gleefully smiled as she took photos of each of their weapons, including Yang's Dust and Blaze Celicas.

"How do you even power that thing?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Well, as far as I can tell, the arm is powered by my own aura, like a regular arm could." Yang explained to them what it was like to have dust literally infused to her all the time, and she even managed to shove a few stories in there, about her journey through Remnant.

"Sound really cool." Fox finally added. "We should spar sometimes. I want to see your new arm in action."

"You and everybody that we had to greet here ever since the ships started to arrive..." Yang sighed, and they all continued to talk about many things, from how they were all doing in general to what they should do next.

"Hey, we should show you to Beacon! This is our last group to today, so we have to return anyway!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Oh yeah. It'd be nice to see the old academy back again. Lead the way." Coco agreed and they all made their way back to Beacon, the journey being much faster this time round. The support from the other kingdoms was uncanny, and Vale managed to regain its old connections, and commotion for the delivery of personal vehicles again. They traveled through Vale, and soon enough, they boarded a small version of a bullhead supplied by Atlas to carry them back to the academy itself.

Beacon was a changed place. Now, with the CCT finished, Glynda decided to officially reopen the school, and started to give proper training to the many students she already housed, as well as those that came back from the other kingdoms. The dorms also doubled as an apartment complex for the huntsmen for the time being, offering a roof for huntsmen that came to help her, yet did not have any place to go, such as team CFVY. Ruby led them to the new CCT, where Glynda's office floor resided, and they took the elevator up, seeing the view through its glass walls. They arrived at the proper floor, and the inner doors opened, revealing a rather tranquil looking floor, having little to no furniture in it, sans Glynda's small desk and bookshelf she carried with her.

"Ah, good to see you." Glynda addressed them all. "Coco, I assume by now you and your team have graduated?"

"Uh-huh." Coco briefly pulled her scroll, now fully functional again, and presented to Glynda a small digital certification, with her name and basic information on.

"That's great. In any case, since you are here to help, I assume, feel free to pick an empty form for now. You can sleep here until you can find a proper place for each of you. If you want, you should sign up for Yang's aura and dust lessons. She can really help you get a good sense of your own aura."

"You became a teacher?" Yakutsushi opened his mouth. Out of all of team CFVY, he was the least talkative, and if something made him speak, it showed he was either really curious, or it was something her really cared about. "Admirable."

"Yeah. At some point, it just stuck, and now I'm part of the staff while also being part of team RWBY." Yang didn't really mind this. Being able to have students of her own, and how them the beauty she saw in the world made it all worth it in the end. "If you even want to say hi, feel free!"

"We'll think about it. Sounds nice, actually." Coco and her team gave her a smile, and the two teams went towards the elevator, so that Ruby could show them around the dorms, and help them look for a free one.

Glynda gave them her regards, and the teams left, leaving Glynda to her own devices. So far, things have been going far more smoothly than she imagined, and Vale's reclamation was itching closer and closer. Shortly after the groups left, the elevator arrived again, this time containing Qrow and Oobleck, who came for their weekly meeting.

"Good to see you two." Glynda took her seat, and the two followed suit.

"We have to declare Vale as a kingdom, as soon as we can." Qrow cut straight to the chase. "If Salem is going to send another one of her horrors at us, we need more than just complementary assistance from the other kingdoms. We need for them to acknowledge we are a valid kingdom, and thus send a more pressing force to help fight the grimm even in Vale."

"We can't go rushing into things." Glynda tried to counterargument. "Even with all the advancement we've made in rebuilding Vale, we still can't just go around calling 'Kingdom!' at everyone."

"Well, what other choice do we have?!" Qrow yelled at her. "You know what I've seen, and something tells me what I know is nothing compared to what she really is. Even Ozpin, with all his wisdom, couldn't possibly grasp it all! We have to act, and we have to act now!"

"I'm sorry Glynda, but I'm afraid I'll have to side with Qrow on this decision." Oobleck said. "We have no idea when will the next time she attacks. Could be tomorrow, could be next year. But no matter when or where, we have to be ready for anything. Last time she managed to catch us off guard with Cinder, and ruin Vale. Next time she succeeds, and I can only fear for what will remain of mankind."

Glynda closed her eyes, and thought deeply about what the two were suggesting. If she was to reestablish Vale as they wanted, things could go smoother against Salem. However, there was one, major problem in her way: Winter and Ironwood. Even if Winter thought she was sneaky, Glynda saw right through her: Her constant repetition of her questions, seemingly to clarify information. Her walking around the school, observing its many people and their daily routine. These were all the actions of a spy, a double agent, sent to gather information on them while also helping with the CCT and So far, Glynda couldn't do much against her, seeing as the entirety of Vale was in Atlas' debt.

"Please, Glynda." Qrow tried again. "You know I'm right. This is the only way we can start moving towards the future knowing we stand a chance."

"...You're right." Glynda couldn't argue with him much, knowing he was right. It was a hurdle they had to pass, but Glynda couldn't wait forever while the problem solved itself. "I'll do the official declaration tomorrow then."

They finished the meeting, knowing full well that the days to come were going to be the hardest on them. But nonetheless, they marched on, towards a hopefully better future.


	39. The Declaration

Penny was flying around Beacon, just having a good old time looking at the many people walking and training in the academy. Besides going to Yang's lessons, Penny had no real need to sit in any of the classes, and she spent most of her day hanging with her friends and exploring her own body to its fullest extent. Ever since she escaped from Atlas, Penny realized that she had the choice to take her life in whatever direction she desired, and thus, dedicated her time mostly to understanding her own functions and realizing her potential. There was no other being like her on all of Remnant, so Penny mostly went around, fighting random grimm, and tried using her new swords and jet legs in a variety of new and creative ways, getting a feel for them. After the CCT had been completed, most of the droids and engineers left Vale, heading back to Atlas, which left Penny a little sad. She enjoyed watching them work so much, and she even helped them here and there, trying to see if any of the droids were able to reach back to her, alas, to no avail. Her software and hardware were on a much higher level than simple work droids, and while Penny did not identify them as the same as her, she still wondered what it would be like to have another being like her. Someone who could understand her, and feel what she feels.

_SNAP!_

Penny turned around and looked at the ground below her. She could have sworn she just heard an old fashioned camera, but none of the scrolls made that sound with their camera app. After a little while of searching, she finally found the mystery photographer: Velvet, who was sitting on a bench nearby, tweaking her camera after the recently taken picture. The rabbit faunus looked quite happy with her latest acquisition, and Penny descended near her, coming from behind her back.

"Salutations, Velvet Scarlatina!" Velvet jumped back, startled from Penny's sudden interrupting for her peaceful photoing. "How are you today?!" Penny knew who Velvet was, but only on a surface level. They hadn't had the chance to have any meaningful conversation, and she decided it was a prime time to make a new friend.

"O-Oh. H-Hello Penny." Velvet mumbled, still surprised. "I'm fine." She smiled at Penny, who looked at the picture on her camera, and saw that Velvet took a picture of her while she was hovering.

"Hey, who's that good looking robot?" Penny jokingly asked.

"Well, I always look for new weapons and abilities to take a picture of. That's how my weapon works." Velvet explained. "They're not as powerful as the originals, obviously, but my pictures can pack a mean punch. I even asked Weiss is she'd allow me to take a picture of her in her armor, but she refused, saying 'No one is allowed to copy me!' very angrily..." Velvet sounded a little disappointed.

"Don't worry Velvet! I'm sure you could find other, just as impressive weapons to take a picture of." Penny's innocent smile cheered her up. "Oh, Velvet, where are the rest of your team? I believed you decided to stick together when you returned to Vale."

"Oh, Fox is finally having his bout with Yang. The rest of the team decided to watch, and I left when I saw you hovering around, actually. I didn't know you could fly, Penny."

"Well..." The thought about her flight capabilities made Penny remember the days she spent in Ironwood's lab, while they tried to 'fix' her. In truth, while do repairing the damages and adding more features to her system, the general's real purpose was something she could never accept: He wanted her to be a weapon, a trump card against the grimm. First, he tried to reason with Penny, talking to her about the many dangers of the world and trying to convince her peacefully to become his ultimate weapon, but Penny refused. After what happened in the Vytal festival, Penny experienced her first death. To others, it may have seen like Penny just turned off, but to her, such a state was death itself, in complete absolution. She was gone, only to return from whatever qualified for a being like her as an afterlife by the military, seeing her as just a machine. Penny just wanted to live out her life as a simple girl, even going as far as to ask the upgrades be removed, and she could be fitted with a regular, human-like body. Ironwood, hearing her, decided to trap her in her own mind, and ordered his software division to create a mental maze for her, so that her excess personality could be easily dealt with while her body and aura were his to control. Thanks to Yang, however, Penny managed to free herself, and now, she could live the life she wanted, surrounded by friends, some of which she even considered family. "I can now. That's all that's important right?" Penny hid her concern beneath a smile. "Well, let's go see the two fight! It's going to be great!" She quickly changed the subject and dragged Velvet with her towards the amphitheater, where the teams had already gathered, waiting for the match to begin. Penny quickly found Ruby and the rest of her friends and took a seat beside them.

"Hey Penny!" Ruby turned to her, noticing she and Velvet barged through the crowds just to get to the seats next to them.

"Hello, Ruby! Did the fight start already?"

"Just about." Blake answered her this time. She was sitting next to Ruby, an eager look on her face. Blake didn't say this often, but she loved seeing her girlfriend fight. I taught her so much about the various way the body can move, and ever since Blake decided to use Wilt & Blush as well as Gambol Shroud, she made up her mind to expand her move set, even taking examples from such a close-quarters-heavy fighter like Yang. "They should be ready any minute now."

"Great!" Penny was hyped for the match, that has been rumored about in Beacon for quite a while. Fox was a very nimble, and agile huntsman, yet his weapons were sturdy and powerful. On the other hand, Yang already proved herself to have her own unique abilities in battle, so everyone was excited to see how this would play out. The two warriors finally turned up, Fox brandishing his twin swords, while Yang simply flexed her right arm, while summoning her Blaze Celica at the same time. Glynda couldn't be there as a referee, so instead, they got Ruby to call the shots for when the fight will begin.

"GOOOO!" Ruby called hastily, having no real experience in overseeing a spar. Nonetheless, the crowd cheered, as the two went against each other, trading blows. Fox came at Yang with an uppercut, expecting her to jump back, where he'll be able to surprise her with a quick dash. Unbeknownst to him, however, Yang already figured he'd do something like this. When fighting against other humans and beings with soul, Yang had the advantage for her aura vision. In combat, she could easily tell from a person's aura how he was going to move around, and even delve a tiny bit into the realm of predictions, having the ability to generally tell a person's intentions from his aura. She caught the tip of his blade head on, showing no signs of fear, and threw him back, her arm unscathed. Fox quickly ran around her, trying to come from a different angle, and each time he did, Yang was waiting for him, only moving out of the way or taking his attack head on, and the fight continued. Eventually, Yang decided to go on the offensive and pulled a thin, red dust plate. She pushed the plate against her Dust Celica, the dust melding into her arm almost immediately, as Yang smirked, and chugged a fireball in Fox's direction, now a red strand of dust appearing on her lower arm.

"Go Yang! Kick his ass!" Ruby cheered her sister, and Penny noticed none of Fox's teammates tried to encourage him, all of them having a confident look on their faces, even Velvet.

Fox looked at Yang's new trick, and he redoubled his stance, putting even more aura into his actions. He became even faster, having used the moves he made beforehand to study his opponent, and now, he knew he had to take her a lot more seriously if he wanted to beat the dustmaster. Fox appeared to have vanished, and Yang closed her eyes, submitting to her aura vision completely. Now, nothing he did could hide him from her unless he had the ability to lose his soul. She sensed Fox coming from her side, and she moved her arms to block him. To her surprise, Fox seemed to her predicted this, changing direction at the last second, and he jumped over her, kicking Yang from the other side, and knocking her over. She got back up, and this time, shot multiple shots of fire at the bronze-haired man, not necessarily aiming for him, but rather opting to cover all the ground around her. Her little ploy worked, at least to some degree, and Fox had nowhere to hide, and he was caught in one of her explosions while trying to jump into the air to get away. However, even without her teaching him advanced aura control, Fox showed great control already, moving his aura around to heal his wounds, while Yang took the small window she had to do the same. By now, they were both about halfway into their energy reserves, and the battle intensified, the two of them throwing everything they've got at each other. Fox knew that all Yang needed was one, direct hit, and he couldn't allow that, constantly dodging her fists and punches and retaliating with smaller, yet stacking attacks. With each strike, Yang's semblance only made her stronger and faster, and when combined with the Dust Celica already boosting her strength, when she hit the verge if her aura, Yang was nigh unstoppable. Fox didn't have even a moment of rest, as Yang launched her assault, combining her strikes one after another. Finally, it came to the very end. Both her's and Fox's aura was almost in the red. Any more, and one of them would have to forfeit. There was only one thing that annoyed Yang at the moment: Throughout all the fight, Fox didn't use his semblance. Not even once. The thought of him not giving it his all pissed her off, and she decided to finish it.

"Ready?" She asked him while the two stood against each other. Fox didn't say anything, only nodding his head, and running against her. She prepared to punch him all the way to the center of Remnant, when all of a sudden, the PA system made a loud noise, and Glynda's voice could be heard through the entire school.

"Attention, students and residents of Beacon Academy! I request you all make way to the central hall. I have an imperative announcement to make." The megaphones turned off, and Fox and Yang, having lost their momentum, looked at each other, as it was evident they would have to settle the score another day.

* * *

A large mass of people gathered in the hall on Beacon. Every huntsman and huntress, every students and teacher, all got together to hear Glynda's big news. No one had any idea what this could be about, and so far, Yang could feel the tension rise higher and higher. She saw Glynda, Oobleck, and Qrow standing on her sides, as she and a technician were trying to set up a shared chat line, with whom she had no clue. It would appear that this was going to be broadcast to the other three kingdoms, and it only served to deepen the mystery. After a few more minutes of chatting amongst themselves, Glynda turned to the microphone, the camera already pointing at her, as the people in Vale, plus the residents of the other kingdoms tuned in.

"People of Remnant." Glynda started, slightly coughing, "For the past year and three months, the kingdom of Vale was a dead place, ruined by the attacks of the creatures of grimm, and by the terrorist Cinder Fall, who was bent on our destruction as a species." She, of course, couldn't tell them the whole truth. Even amongst those who were there for the battle against the dragon, only a select few knew the truth about Cinder's nature, and each of them was trusted with this secret till the day they died.

"So far, we here at Vale have given it our very best at rebuilding our lost kingdom, and while the support from Atlas, Mistral, and Vacuo is extraordinary and well-appreciated, I and my trusted advisors have reached the conclusion that we can no longer stay under the pretence of survivors, and it was finally time to move forwards, and restore the age of peace and evolution Remnant enjoyed until the last Vytal festival." Glynda's words were carefully picked, and Yang could see she had practiced this, but not for long. Her aura, while staying calm for most of the time with her body, still twitched here and there, and it wasn't subtle enough for Yang not to take notice. She knew more about the situation a bit more then what Glynda told the rest of the world in what she figured was a press conference held online, but even though Yang already had a feeling where Glynda was going with this, she still had her suspicions about the situation. There were a few loose ends she still wanted answers for.

"And thus, without further ado, I, Glynda Goodwitch, hereby DECLARE the foundation of the kingdom of New Vale! From now on, I, Qrow Branwen, and Bartholomew Oobleck, will stand as the council of the fourth and final front against the grimm, heralding a new age of huntsmen and huntresses to fight the ever approaching darkness!" The moment Glynda uttered the words 'new' and 'kingdom', the people went almost crazy with enthusiasm, and they cheered, almost blocking out Glynda's voice entirely. It was understandable, many wanted this to finally happen so that the days before the fall of Vale could return, and hearing it was to become official raised the spirits up high. Yang found herself caught in the torrent of good feelings and joy, and she started to shout and yell, half uncontrollably. She didn't mind this, though. She was just happy to see a solid achievement in the long struggle they all had in order to reclaim their home from the grimm.

"Now, to the leaders of the other kingdoms around the world." Glynda addressed cameras that were pointed at her and spoke directly to the screens all around Remnant. "Now is the time to act! Now, that Vale has been restored, and the CCT has been rebuilt, allowing us to talk to each other once again, I would like to suggest a global operation, using the combined forces of all of our kingdoms. We can stand united! and repel the grimm whence they came!" Glynda's calls for action made everyone cheer and shout, and even after the transmission was turned off, and Glynda and her council stepped off the stage, a huge party started, people dancing and celebrating with each other all over the place. Even RWBY, JNR, and CFVY were dragged into the mayhem, and they all had the time of their lives, celebrating their newfound kingdom. This was a day to remember for each of them, for on that day, they had what felt like the very first victory in a long series of battles and strife. No one died. No one was scarred. No one was injured or maimed. This was just a time to be happy and rejoice with each other.

* * *

While the party raged on in the halls and corridors of Beacon, Glynda, and her crew sat in her office, inside the CCT tower, and pondered their next move. It was a bold choice, to declare the kingdom of New Vale, but it was a necessity. Now, that they could start trading and combining themselves into Remnant's financial market, they had the chance, however slim it was, to stabilize their new kingdom, and return Vale to what it was. Some changes were inevitable, the memory of the chaos will never be truly gone, but Glynda decided they had to look forward towards the future, rather than the past. As the group sat and talked about what is the next step they should take, they noticed Glynda's new, holographic table was ringing, having a basic projector built into it. She picked up the call, and on the holographic screen that appeared before them, was a figure they all wished would wait a little more time.

"Now you are officially a kingdom." Ironwood started. "And I want Penny BACK." His voice was very commanding, and if he would have stood in the same room as them, Glynda had a feeling she might have even been compelled to obey him. In all her years knowing James, she knew he was stern and severe when it came to his position, however, she never actually saw him as this threatening. She pushed her glasses and regained her composure, before finally answering him.

"Only if she agrees to go willingly." Glynda had no intentions of putting Penny through this if she didn't want to, and it was pretty obvious to everyone in the room what Penny thought about the matter. Team RWBY already gave them the full report on what transpired to Penny under James' command, and Qrow gave him a very foul look through the screen.

"And the chances of THAT happening are as slim as the grimm ever dying." Qrow retorted.

"I am not here to consult your sarcasm, Qrow." Ironwood's voice remained cold and indifferent. "Penny is an important tool against the grimm! She must be prepared to fight against them, against Salem!" the mentioning of Salem brought a sense of delusion to Glynda's heart. _So this is why he wants her so badly..._

"Penny can already fight, general. In fact, she has been fighting willingly with our forces for quite a while, and I would assume she enjoys not being told what to do."

"That is none of your concerns, Glynda." His voice hardened even more. "I only ask this of you for the people, dammit! We have no other choice, and I will not risk sending MY men into a certain death trap! Penny has the potential to become the best chance we've got against Salem and her armies, and I would spare no expense to prepare her for the fight she must face!"

"Just listen to yourself talk for about two fucking seconds!" Qrow yelled. "We have NO choice? She HAS to face this fight? All you do is speak in absolutes, and paint the world the way YOU want to see it." Qrow locked eyes with the general. "You heard us the first time. We will send Penny only, and ONLY, is she decided she wants to go to Atlas. Until them, she stays where she wants."

Ironwood stared at them for what seemed like forever. In the end, he turned his head to the side in disappointment, and disconnected the call, leaving them alone.

"That outburst might cost us dearly, Qrow." Oobleck turned to him. "And I hope you are willing to pay the price of insulting the current leader of Atlas."

"Yeah. I want to see him try." Qrow knew they shouldn't trust Ironwood. In the end, the man could not see anything beyond his own ego, and even though he did all of this to help them, giving them supplies like the other kingdoms did, Qrow had a feeling his motives were not pure. He was hoping to try and coerce them into handing Penny over willingly, but they had no intention of doing so. In their new Vale, everyone was going to be free, truly free, to express themselves the way they wanted, whether human, faunus, robot or anything else.

Ironwood was angry. Outraged even. All he has ever done was for the good of the people, and now the fools in Vale, whom he fancied his allies, turned their backs on him, preventing the army from achieving the ultimate weapon against the grimm. He sat in his office, and his scroll rang, as he noticed Winter sent him her weekly report. She was quite helpful at first, but soon, Ironwood noticed her information became self-conflicting and contradictory. Either she decided to defect, which he assumed was false, or somehow they managed to see through her, and realizing she was also a spy for him, decided to feed her false information, in order to throw him off. He, instead, had another idea in mind, and he pulled his scroll and sent Winter a message.

_It is time. Bring Mark II to me._ They had to use coded language. If anyone else saw this, his entire plan would be ruined, as well as heavily damaging his reputation. After a minute or so of waiting for a response, Winter finally replied.

_Understood._

* * *

Winter's mission was very clear: Seeing as her commander failed in his attempt to convince the new council of New Vale to hand Penny over peacefully, it fell on to her to find Penny, and shut her off, any means necessary, and deliver her to Atlas for the completion of her upgrades and tunings. She had already discussed the matter with the general, who, after having his scientists study Penny's fight with Yang at Atlas, decreed that the next part of her upgrades would be to create a tightened and reinforced mental maze program, in order to make sure she could NOT escape again. While subtly preparing for her mission, Winter could not stop thinking about Weiss, and what kidnapping Penny would do to her: Sure, Weiss didn't see anything unique in Penny, but Ruby, her girlfriend and teammate did, and Weiss cared about her deeply. Hurting Penny would obliquely result in Weiss severing all relations she had with her sister, once and for all, and Winter was well aware of that. However, she was still an atlisian soldier, even of not in the specialists anymore, and it was her duty to do whatever it takes to achieve peace for all, even if a sacrifice was necessary. She knew it wasn't going to bring her back to Atlas; her father already had a say in that, but she still prepared, for what seemed like a suicide mission, for the good of everyone.

She waited until it was late at night, and headed out. Most of the people in Beacon were already asleep, and if Winter ever wanted to snap Penny when the coast was clear this was her perfect chance. Even better, a lot of people were pooped out from the huge party that took place only until a few hours ago, and no one was in any condition to stop her. She roamed the courtyards, looking for her target, when she finally spotted Penny, resting on top of an archway around the main entrance. Winter quieted her steps, and used her glyphs to walk vertically on one of the pillars, and snuck close to Penny, who, while not really sleeping, had to recover her energy, having partied just as hard as her biological friends. When Winter came close to Penny, without any further notice, Penny turned directly at her, and her face went grim with shock.

"What are you doing, Winter Schnee?" Penny's voice was metallic and artificial. She was doing this on purpose, trying to intimidate Winter away.

"I'm here to bring you back." Winter pulled Gerechtigkeit and steeled herself. She knew Penny was not going to go down without a fight, and the seconds slowed down as the sparks flew in the night air.

"Why? Why can't I just be happy?" Penny's question seemed almost innocent and childlike, but Winter heard a deeper layer to her words. To her, Penny's question did not only apply to her. In fact, her question could be used for herself as well. In the end, all Winter wanted at this point was to see her sister happy again. She was growing tired of the political game the general dragged her into, and now dealing with international affairs was only going to become even more stressful, especially in this time between the last tragedy and the return of the peace. To Winter, this was her last job. She was going to retrieve Penny and quit the army for good.

"Because the people are more important." Winter tried to reason with herself more than she did with the android that stood before her. This was the last straw for Penny, and she pulled her many swords, prepared to spill blood if it meant keeping her freedom.

The two ran against each other, and Winter had a really hard time keeping up with Penny. If she wasn't exhausted from the celebrations, Winter would have stood no chance against her full might, but now she was given a chance. After parrying Penny's first move, Winter jumped back, and opened her mouth.

"Override code, C8ΩQ6!" Winter called, making sure to punctuate her words perfectly. For this to work, Penny would have to be able to verbally recognize each character Winter inputted.

For a moment, Penny stopped. Winter's words triggered something within her, and she felt an urge rise. Another facet of her programming bent on compelling her to quiet down and obey Winter's commands. She saw it rise and try to fill her, and Penny's struggle became an internal one.

"no..." Penny's voice became distorted and twisted as her very soul fought against her very programming. This time, however, it was not an external add-on, put on her by Ironwood. This override command was put in there in the event Penny would have even gone berserk or rouge.

This command was put there by her father.

"noooOOOOOOOOOO!" Penny's voice quickly raised to an ear-shattering screech, and her metallic voice echoed throughout the entirety of Beacon, awakening several people, though only barely. Everyone was just too tired to help her. Electricity began to flow and jolt out of her, as the fight for her freedom intensified. It all happened so fast, and soon she had to counter the command on every corner of her body, as she convulsed and jittered while trying to wrestle control over herself from herself. Yang wasn't there this time to help her. She had to do this on her own.

_You can do this!_ She heard voiced start to pop in her mind. Even though no one was there to encourage her, Penny still felt them: The people around her, still asleep, but also rooting for her, at least, that's what she imagined, and it was enough to keep her going.

_Don't give in!_

_You are stronger then the program!_

_You are you! And no one else!_

Penny felt these voiced encompass her, and the oppression was growing weaker and weaker. Soon, Penny was able to repel it, piece by piece, and her voice calmed down, until going silent.

Suddenly, Penny stopped twitching, and raised her head, looking at Winter dead on. She won the fight, and now she was not only in complete control over herself, her resolve only became stronger from this ordeal. She had so much in Vale: Friends, family, partners, a home. The mere thought that they were going to put her through the same caging process again infuriated her, and she lashed out at Winter, sending her blade at the soldier, in unending waves. Winter kept on dodging, and trying other override commands, but with little success. Penny could feel her aura pulsate with life. She was sure of it. This feeling was not some imitation brought by her processing. This was her soul speaking, and she heard its calls loud and clear. She brought all of her swords together, and folded them, making a circle of energy blasters. They charged very quickly, and she fired a condensed beam of light green at her assailant. Winter had no other choice, and pulled a glyph to counter it, attempting to reflect the attack back at Penny, and the two were locked, Penny trying to win her freedom, and Winter trying to take it away. Winter pushed further and further, and at last, she managed to redirect Penny's blast at her, hitting her straight on.

"n-no... p-please..." Penny fell down to the grounds, motionless. Winter stepped above her, and prepared her saber. One pierce, through the heart, should to it. They could easily repair Penny at Atlas, so she didn't have to worry about Penny's condition, yet the more she looked at Penny's sorrowful, yet shocked face, which was frozen as she had to strength to move it, the more Winter doubted herself.

_Is it really worth it?_ She asked herself, whilst still staring Penny down. It was her duty, a role she had to fulfill in the system, through which things could go forward. Ironwood drilled this mindset onto her as the years past: The army was a machine, and she was one of the cogs. If she did not spin, the entire machine would collapse, and thus, it was her duty not only to James or Atlas, but to the WORLD to complete her mission.

And she couldn't do it.

Weiss appeared in her mind again. She tried to banish the mental image of her sister, but it persisted, making Winter question her orders even more. She raised Gerechtigkeit up high, and her body started to tremble, as the questions poured nonstop through her mind.

_Is it really worth it?_

_Am I doing the right thing?_

_How can do this to Weiss?_

The tears began to flow on her face, and in the end, Winter was just too soft. Luckily, no one who could recognize her woke up from this, so she had a final chance to redeem herself. Instead of stabbing her, she took Penny, and carried her to the dorm she currently had for herself, memorizing the path just in case, and put Penny in her bed. Winter herself went outside, having a lot to think about when a small, two man aircraft descended from above and landed next to her. In the cockpit, was a soldier, who seemed to address her with a small solute.

"Greetings, commander Schnee!" Though she was demoted, many soldiers still saw her as an important figure in the military. "I am here on ironwood's behalf to pick up Mark II. I assume you have her hidden someplace safe while you waited for us?"

This was the last straw in Winter's mind. As the soldier turned off the small airship and went to greet her, and snapped, and grabbed him by his collar.

"W-Wint-"

"Listen up!" She commanded. "I will NOT be delivering Penny. She is going to stay in Vale, where she is content to stay, and if Ironwood wants her so much, he would better come here himself to claim her!" She put him down, and the grunt scuffled back to his small ship.

"Make sure he gets the message." She sneered as the grunt flew off into the night.

* * *

The morning after was a mess to clean up. The part got way out of hand, and everyone did their part to help clean the mess up. Yang took another bad filled with trash, and went outside, headed for the central trash compactor. As she walked there, she saw someone whom she never expected to see where she was: Winter was sitting on top of the archway around Beacon's main entrance, staring at the autumn sun. A quick look at her aura told Yang Winter had been both awake all night last night, and was mentally and physically exhausted. She disposed of the garbage bag, and quickly climbed up the pillar, wanting to have a closer look. The more she approached Winter, the more Yang noticed the horrifying details. Winter's aura was nearly diminished, and she could tell something big was on her mind, and her aura acted like a tsunami, clashing back and forth through her.

"Winter?..." Yang asked, and Winter turned to her, face as cold as death itself.

"...What did you do?" Yang's voice was becoming more and more worried. She had no idea what would make such a calm and orderly woman look like she just took a tornado head on.

"..." Winter didn't say anything. Trying to cover the truth of what had happened last night was nigh impossible, and she knew that, yet no words came to her mouth. All Winter could do was sit and stare at Vale, having no idea where her life should go now. Sure, she had her sister, but her very reason for living was gone, replaced by a sense of sisterhood she wasn't even sure was two-sided. She was filled with regret and despair, yet at the same time she felt proud of herself, and that she made the right choice.

Yang stood there and glared at her, waiting for an answer. The lack of one only made her more stressed.

"You tried to take Penny back to Atlas, didn't you?" Yang felt something powerful happen last night. She saw two auras clash in her sleep, but under her pure aura vision, disconnected from her physical self, she could not tell who or what they were. Lately, her dream awareness became more and more geared towards the purest of aura visions, and she could barely recognize her own name while she slept. This was the last thing any of them needed. Things were going so well, and now Yang's gut was scearming at her to prepare for teh worst.

"..." Winter's silence continued.

Yang did a quick scan and sighed in relief when she saw Penny, still in Beacon. It meant that at least, Winter made the right choice. "Look. I'm not going to tell anyone, okay? At least not for now." She looked deep into Winter's eyes. "But you have to promise me to come clean about this at some point. Okay?"

Winter nodded and went back to staring at the sun, hoping that indeed her choice was right. Now, after Penny was done with her own inner struggle, Winter faced one not less severe and important, and she still had a lot of thinking ahead of her.

* * *

The press conference from Ironwood was a given. After straight up being denied by the leaders of New Vale, and Winter defecting almost in front of his face, He felt he had to take matters into his own hands. The stage was already set, and he waited until the last of the news reporters were seated, before approaching the microphone.

"People of Remnant, this is James Ironwood, current general, headmaster, and leader of Atlas." He always began his speeches with a full introduction.

"Over the past two days, the kingdom of New Vale had finally risen. It is a joyous moment, yet, there is still darkness lurking in the hearts of the people there that I just CANNOT abide by." The reporters, and with them everyone watching, were shocked by his words, with the exception of a particular group of three, watching this from their tower.

"Right now, the kingdom of New Vale is in possession of highly dangerous, highly volatile, experimental military weapon. When I asked them to return the weapon to me, in order to make sure it never falls into the wrong hands, they refused, and preceded to tell me that it will stay with them." Technically, he was not lying about their reaction. However, the propaganda was oozing from every single word he uttered.

"Furthermore, one of my most elite soldiers, Winter Schnee, has decided to defect to their side, abandoning her duties to the citizens of Remnant, most likely due to actions taken by them." Once again, a simple truth twisted by one-sided world views and ideals.

"Thus, it fills me with great sorrow that I must do this, but alas, drastic measures are to be made if we all desire to live in a peaceful world, where the threat of annihilation by grimm is minute." He cleared his throat and got even closer to his microphone.

"As of this moment, the kingdom of Atlas declares WAR on the kingdom of New Vale."


	40. The First Wave

"Sir, this is madness!" One of Ironwood's lieutenants said to him as they walked through Ironwood's tower, headed to the Intercontinental meeting room. After his declaration of war, the other leaders if the three kingdoms, including New Vale, have summoned him for a meeting, regarding his latest decision.

"They brought this on themselves." Ironwood answered. "They should have handed Penny to us when they were given the chance. Now, I have no pity left for them."

The soldier looked more and more distressed. Not many in the army wanted war, especially with New Vale. The kingdom was just founded, not even a week past, and yet, the orders were already issued, and combat droids were being prepared, as well as more atlisian knights being manufactured. Ironwood was known as a very straight forward man: Once he decides something, very little could stand in his way. "Must we really fight? Can you not just send in some of the specialists and be done with it?"

"No. Winter is there, and by now, I must assume the worst with her defection, and go under the belief that New Vale has all the technical information on our specs and abilities. Sending in people who Winter personally worked with would be suicide for them. Instead, we will overwhelm them with our forces, and after they've surrendered, I will take control of the kingdom, as an extension of Atlas, and maintain the peace through strength." Of course, none of this was news to his new assistant. He was one of the people in charge of writing Ironwood's speech, which he was going to deliver after the meeting to his men. The two entered the broadcast room, having it recently cleaned up as the CCT tower in Vale was restored, and Ironwood took his seat, as the screens lighted up, showing the faces of the leaders of Mistral, Vacuo, and Glynda representing New Vale.

"James, what the hell are you thinking?!" Glynda opened up, as the other two leaders sat in silence. She called up the meeting initially, hoping to talk some sense into the general. "War?! Are you out of your mind?!" As she yelled at him, the other two leaders hadn't said a single word.

"You brought this on yourselves, Glynda." Ironwood retorted. "You refused to hand over our weapon, and now we will take it by force, using our full military might against you."

"Do you have any idea how many will get hurt because of your actions?! You always say you think about the people, so-"

"I AM THINKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE." Ironwood shouted back, and Glynda shut her mouth, as his face only became more and more intimidating. "I will NOT tolerate using my own ideals against me! Everything I do is for the people!" He took a short breath, and continued.

"Unlike you, however, Glynda, I know that sometimes sacrifices must be made."

"Well?! Don't the two of you have anything to say?!" Glynda turned to the other leaders of the kingdoms, hoping for at least of them to speak up in her defense. Alas, none of them said anything, until the leader of Vacuo, an old man, around his 70s, opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry, miss Goodwitch, but I'm afraid Vacuo's inner state is in a far more concerning for me than helping the other kingdoms at the moment." In truth, the kingdom of Vacuo, once a proud and wild desert kingdom, had been humbled greatly by the grimm forces that followed the attack on Vale. Many of the people were very against intervening with the rest of the world, and while Vacuo could not just shut the rest of Remnant out, the kingdom's policy on international politics quickly deteriorated to trying to be as neutral as possible, making no friends, and no enemies, while staying safe amongst themselves.

"I'm afraid Mistral will have to take the same decision, Goodwitch." Mistral's council head was a thin, tall, crooked looking man. Mistral was never known as the friendliest of kingdoms, always looking out for their own affairs first in the economic game, and now, when war was declared, there was no chance in hell they could take a side. War was the best kind of industry, after all, the Mistral was not going to pass up on the potential market and gain they could get from selling weapons and materials to both sides. On top of all that, Atlas now had a firm grasp on Mistral's politics, with the army passing through there all the time, and thus, even if he wanted to side with Glynda, doing so would only incur Ironwood's wrath, and Mistral's leader wanted nothing to do with it.

Glynda's face turned to shock at their words. Ironwood just had too much influence all over Remnant, being the kingdom with the objectively strongest army, and for the life of them, none of the other kingdoms could do anything against him. The status quo was well beyond broken after the fall of the kingdom, and now, most of the power was held in the palm of a single, cold-hearted, man. They only agreed to Glynda's request for a meeting as a formality. In truth, both Vacuo and Mistral's leaders had no intention of helping Glynda.

"So I take it you abstain from interference, them?" Ironwood turned to the two, and they nodded in consent, sealing New Vale's fate.

"Then I will see you on the battlefield." Ironwood threatened Glynda and the conversation ended.

Shortly after, the general, followed by his lieutenant, headed towards the grand hall of his tower, where he intended to give his speech to his soldiers. There were many people there, from all the army's divisions, along with the heads of each one. They were all sitting already, completely silent, waiting for their leader to arrive. As James came to the balcony, looking down at them, they all stood up, and saluted to him, until seeing his hand fall, relieving them. Though a lot of them still had their doubts about the war, each was still extremely loyal to the army and its general, and the respect was due.

"My men!" the general called, and instantly, each of them felt a tinge to fire rise inside them. None knew how he did it, but the general always knew how to inspire with his sheer attitude and appearance, and whenever he spoke, the people listened, and listened well. "I know that the thought of war seems like a horrible thing. Only 81 years ago, a great war almost tore apart the world of Remnant, and plunged humanity into chaos. However, this time it is not the case!" He sounded more and more confident, as each soldier's doubts began to fade, replaced by an even fiercer loyalty. "We are strong! We are powerful! And We. Will. Prevail!" By now, the listeners were on their feet, bellowing war cries and hailing the general. In mere seconds, Ironwood managed to inspire an entire army into willingly going to war.

"When you fight for me, you fight for Remnant! Your lives are the very sustenance on which your children will grow and prosper! Fight today, and I promise you a brighter future! Filled with order, and peace!" By now, any further inspiration was unnecessary. They all had the same enthusiasm, and even the heads of each division clapped wildly at his words. Ironwood merely left the balcony on which he stood, leaving the crowd to cheer on. Even his second in command, having shown doubt a few moments earlier, was now more than eager to work even harder at coordinating the coming war.

* * *

Glynda didn't have a lot of time to prepare. The only form of militia she had so far were the huntsmen she trained in Beacon, but so far, none of them bar those who came from the other kingdoms were in any form ready to take on an organized army. She was sitting in her office, along Qrow and Oobleck, as the trio practically lived there at this point, needing to find a way to raise enough people to fight Ironwood. They have already sent out the call of recruitment to their new citizens, but as expected, not many were so inclined to just sign up and fight for a kingdom that was just founded, its leaders not yet proven themselves. As they were talking strategy and what to do, they saw the elevator rise up to them, packed full of people: Team RWBY, JNR, CFVY, Penny and Neo were coming up to see them.

"What are you doing here?" Glynda asked. She did not have any time for their problems at the moment, but as each of them entered her office floor, she saw their face's even Penny's filled with determination. Finally, after everyone entered, Ruby opened her mouth.

"We are going to fight on the front lines against Atlas."

They weren't many, but each huntsman amongst them had their own unique strengths. They all had great prowess, although their numbers were great at all. "And we are not alone." Ruby pointed out, as the council walked to the window, where they saw the many students of Beacon, standing around the tower, each one looking surer of themselves than the last.

"I can't send them. They are too young."

"What choice do you have?!" Yang called this time.

"I promised to help them fulfill their dreams..."

"Well, we don't have the time for such luxuries." Weiss answered back. This was a matter of life and death, and Glynda could not really turn anyone who wanted to help her down. She gave it some thought, and turned to them.

"I just can't do it, okay?!" Glynda called. "I saw almost each of them grow as an individual! I helped them evolve, and become who they are! And now you expect me to send them to the front lines of a war no one here wants, and HOPE, they just won't die?!" Glynda couldn't take it. Even though she never had any kids on her own, she still loved every single student that passed through her school, even if she was always looked strict.

"They won't die. We'll be there to protect them too." Ruby came close to her, and hugged the headmistress.

"I know how you feel. But we stay to stay hopeful, right?"

Glynda looked at her, and started to feel a sense of relief coming from the huntress. Sure, her words were naive and her ideals a little childish, but beneath it, Glynda already knew that the heart of a true guardian lied.

"...Okay." She finally said, and looked at the large group. "A will allow the students to go. But only with direct supervision from each of you. None of them goes alone."

"You got it." Ruby looked at her with a serious expression. None of the students were truly ready for the real deal, and the trained huntsmen would have to lead them into battle, and make sure as many as they could come out alive.

Glynda then turned to Penny. "Except you, Penny. You have to stay here in Beacon."

"Why?" Penny couldn't believe her auditorial sensors. "I want to fight for New Vale too!"

"But you are the very reason this war even began." Glynda explained it to her. "As far as I know, the only thing that motivated Ironwood to war was the fact that we, as a council, have rejected sending you to him in Atlas. If you go to the front lines, you could be captured, or worse." Glynda's reasoning was very clear to Penny, and she knew she couldn't argue with her decision on the matter. Penny loved her friends, but she also knew they would be hurt just as much from her if she was converted by the military as they would if she was not there by their side. "I do have an important talk for you, though." Glynda continued. "You will serve as the last line of defense here in Beacon. In the event that the atlisian military managed to get too close, you have my permission to intercept them with everything you have."

Penny smiled. "Okay, I understand." She felt a little relieved, knowing she was not going to just sit around, doing nothing.

"We still need a way to gather intelligence on Atlas." Qrow brought up the point. If they wanted to stand a chance, they would need every last bit of information they had. "Plus, we'll have to deal with our little, 'guest'." He pointed towards the elevator, where the image of Winter appeared, leaning on her weapon. The moment Penny saw her face, she both made a shocked, yet confused face. Last the two met, Winter had defeated her, and was about to send her to Atlas, yet the next thing Penny could remember was waking up in her bed in Beacon. She had no idea what was Winter's game, and she got ready to jump her, her blades peeking out of their vassal.

"You better have a damn good reason to be here now, Winter." Qrow pointed his sword at her. She could also see Weiss' expression suddenly take a turn for the worse.

"I'm here to help." She declared.

"And what makes you think any of us would believe you?" Qrow questioned her.

"She is speaking the truth." Yang intervened. "I can look at auras you know, and I can say without a shadow of the doubt that Winter is being honest."

"This doesn't answer the big why." Qrow waited for her to explain herself. Winter knew she had no way she could paint the truth, not with Yang around. The yellow huntress' expression also left little to muse over what she thought, and Winter knew she had to come clean, although much sooner than she would have liked.

"Last night, Ironwood had tasked me with capturing Penny, and sending her to Atlas." She started. "At first, I fought her, and managed to knock her unconscious, but as I stood atop her, I just couldn't bring myself to do it." She gave a brief rundown of the events that occurred last night. "I came to realize I have a lot more here, in New Vale, than in my old home of Atlas. I gave the general one clear message: I quit."

They stood there, in silence, shocked by Winter's short story. After a short while, Weiss pulled Myrtenaster, and donned her armor, pointing her blade at her sister.

"Weiss! What are you-" Ruby tried to stop her.

"She tried to betray us." Weiss decreed, cutting Ruby mid-sentence. "There is no telling if she will do it again." She gazed at Winter, as the two sisters exchanged glances, one of love, and one of hate.

"Well I trust her!" Ruby called. "If Yang says that she is telling the truth, then I say we let her prove herself by helping us!" Ruby looked at Weiss, the former heiress taking a short breath, and sheathing her sword, letting the armor dissipate. She still felt Winter could not be trusted, and as much as Winter hated it, the bond she managed to rebuild with her sister was damaged now. Winter, however, decided not to give up, as she saw Ruby look at her. _Perhaps, one day she could open up to me again..._ Winter thought to herself. _But for now, I must help them protect their homes._

She moved over to Glynda's table, and placed her scroll on it, creating a hologram of various schematics and blueprints of various machines and robots the army had. Luckily for her, Ironwood could not block her access right away when she defected, so she a small window of time until the courier reported her to use her security clearance to download to her scroll as much information as she could, before the ban came, and she was kicked out of the army's security protocols' exception list. Even when she was demoted, Winter was allowed to keep her clearance to view various confidential files in the military's database, and now was the best time to use that information. She quickly lectured them all on the structure of Atlas' latest generation of combat droids, the Atlesian Knight-340, which was much, much more powerful compared to the 200 model showcased last year in the old Vale. The new models were a lot more sturdy and tough, each coming equipped with an array of dust based weaponry, optimized for the most combat efficiency.

"I can still pummel them to the ground, you know." Yang gave her a cocky smile and flexed her Dust Celica.

"One of those? Yes. Each of those robots probably won't stand a chance against any of you in single combat." Winter agreed, but her expression remained grim. "That, however, won't be the case. Ironwood's strategy is very simple: He will send his machines, wave after wave, tiring us all until we can barely fight. After that, he would rally the ground troops and Paladin operators, and finish off those who still stand up with his specialists." In her days at the academy, Winter would go to all of Ironwood's speeches and lectures he would pass in her school. She found him so inspiring at the day, and she even went so far as to memorize every single word he said in each lesson, writing them all down. From what she remembered, the general always believed in attrition as the most effective way to wage a war: Send in the weakest troops first, tire out the enemy, and just when they are too tired to go on, and think they have seen your full might, send in your strongest of forces, and deliver the finishing blow.

"In any event, we have to prepare for a long war with Atlas. It will take up a few days for a first carrier to reach here, so now is the time to stock up on as many supplies as we can." Winter concluded, and Glynda looked at her, finally grasping the full spectrum of what is about to unfold.

"Then go!" She called out to the huntsmen. "If Winter is correct, then Ironwood had already sent the first wave and we don't have a lot of time! Gather every student and make sure they are ready!" Meanwhile, she turned to team RWBY. "The people of New Vale trust you. Go to them, and make sure houses are secured and individuals who need shelter have it. Once you are done, contact me, and I will tell you where to go next!"

"Right!" Each of them called out, and ran outside, cramming into the elevator. Time was of the essence, and Ruby and her team had to make it all the way to New Vale's main city, to help the civilians. It was the top priority, and each of them steeled herself for what is about to unfold. They were not going to give up that easily to Ironwood.

"I have to protect them all." Blake said out loud as they walked towards one of the smaller hovercraft, intending on using it to get to the city in a short time, mostly to herself, and the rest turned to her. "I've been thinking about this, and reached the conclusion that this is why I fight." I took her quite a while of thinking to fully grasp what it meant, to protect others. "True, I've fought so far alongside all of you, but to be honest, I feel like this is my war more than it is everyone else's" For Blake, this was her moment of truth. Last time when they faced something on the scale of an entire war, last year in the Vytal Festival, she ran, even after everything she experienced with her team. She had to make sure, to be certain, that this time, she would not.

She felt Yang hug her from behind, and the two shared a quiet moment. "Don't worry, Blakey. I won't let you run." She felt Yang's presence soothe her, and she glanced at Wilt & Blush, now strapped to her back, creating a cross shape with Gambol shroud. Blake's words made each of her teammates think, though, as the same question reached each of their heads:

_Why DO I fight?_

To Ruby, the answer seemed simple: The world was in pain, and it needed its heroes. However, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that her world view was still too simplistic and naive. This was the thought process of the child she was, not the huntress she IS, and Ruby already reached the conclusion that being a hero might just not be possible in today's Remnant, especially in the face of a war. There was, however, something else that came to her mind: She could inspire. Her silver eyes gave her more than just flashy powers. They also gave her the respect of many of the people of New Vale. If she wanted to help them, she would have to guide them, and lead them into and out of this war.

To Yang, the answer always stood right before her: The world was such an amazing place, and she didn't mean just one aspect of it: Every plant, every animal, every river, and mountain, they were all precious to her. The gift that came with her Dust Celica allowed her to connect so deeply to the world around her, that she felt sometimes like things were already as they should have been all along, and all she had to do was follow fate's path. Alas, such notions could not exist with the grimm around, and beyond that, now other people were threatening her friends, and every single person she held dear. It made her a little sad, to have to be fighting other humans and faunus, but this was what reality put before her, and Yang had to come to terms with the ugly truth, and take it head on.

To Weiss, things were painted in two main colors: What she deemed important, and what she deemed unnecessary. To her, the entire war was pointless, and she couldn't care less for it or to most of the people around her. Instead, the person that stood on top of her priorities, the one she held as the most important thing in her entire life at the time, was Ruby, and her lover was going to go and fight. Had Ruby decided to stay behind, Weiss would have fully supported her, and stayed by her side. But now, that there was a chance Ruby could get hurt, Weiss had to go. Whenever she thought about the possibility, it actually managed to raise some feelings of concern inside on her, and Weiss vowed to protect her, and make they both survived. After all, there was no point in sacrificing herself to save her teammate. If Weiss died, it would only tear Ruby apart.

And so, the four huntresses, each with her own reason to fight, headed to the central city, to evacuate the people and prepare for combat. It didn't take them more than a day or so, Ruby's influence making everyone around her listen to everything she said, and by the end of the second day in the city, everyone was already well prepared for the coming battles, and they contacted Glynda, giving her the news.

 _"Good job."_ Glynda told them through the scroll. _"Now, head to the northern border, and wait there for the droids to arrive."_

 _"Got it."_ replied and closed the call. Even though Ironwood was vicious in his tactics, he was still a fair man, and Winter told them all that he will most likely not attack the civilians directly, and attempt to invade the kingdom from its borders, which is exactly where Glynda positioned most of her forces. It took them a short ride to get there, but when they did, they saw many of the students, standing vigil on the borders on the new kingdom, ready to safeguard it with their lives. They still did not have enough time to retake the entirety of Vale's lands, and there was still a ring of rubble and ruins surrounding the center of the new city, at the heart of which lied what used to be the original camp, now properly built and structured to be habitable for a larger group of people. Ruby and her team took their positions, as the many junior huntsmen turned to them, seeing as the angel herself graced them with her appearance. Though Ruby really hated that title, it had stuck to her quite strongly, and it seemed as she had no choice but to address the group of students, now staring at her, waiting for some words of wisdom from one of the strongest huntsmen they knew. Ruby took a stand, and opened her mouth.

"I... I wish I could talk to you all on a better day." She started. "But this is not going to happen. War is upon us, and the time for speeches and ideals is over. What you are about to face is not going to be any better than the dragon, and it's armies of grimm. Even longer, in fact." She mused for a moment on that last fight. It seemed so long ago, yet also like it happened just yesterday, and she could still feel Crescent Rose in her hand as she slew Cinder.

"So I'm just going to say this:" She took a deep breath, before shouting with all of her might. "YOUR ANGEL IS HERE! AND I WILL STAY WITH YOU, SO PLEASE! GIVE IT YOUR ALL!" She shouted, and Yang could see the hope gleam in their eyes. For what it was worth, Ruby had become damn good at inspiring people.

After a few moments of nothing, the finally saw them at the distance: The first wave of atlesian knights, carried by a massive airborne carrier. The ship stopped a few miles away from the huntsmen, as its cargo doors opened, creating what seemed to be an almost literal wall of metal and weaponry. As the machines got closer and closer, Ruby rallied the students, as they all charged towards the first wave, ready to lay their lives on the line for those they cared about.


	41. Huntsmen and Idols

So far, the fight was going fine, at best.

Yang looked at another row on atlesian knights came towards her. She sighed, and raised the Dust Celica, slamming the ground below her, and sending a shockwave against the robots, destroying them. Honestly, the first wave was not as hard as they thought. Everyone was in peak condition, each one managed to make short work of the droids, and spirits were high, as the battle raged on. However, in the back of Yang's mind, as well as in those of everyone around her, it was becoming evident that while things go smoothly now, this was merely the beginning. As Winter stated, each round of fighting was only going to become more and more tiring and stressful, just as Ironwood planned.

"Yang, behind you!" She heard Blake call from afar, and turned back, and saw two knights, trying to take her by surprise. At the last second, Yang turned around and grabbed the two by their heads, smashing them into each other, and finishing them off. So far, the army only sent the 200 models of the atlesian knights, as what seemed to be a test run, to measure the capabilities of Glynda's forces. They even managed to go so far without any deaths so far, only sustaining multiple wounded students.

"We got grimm on 6 o'clock!" They heard one of the students shout. Of course, it was inevitable that the grimm would be attracted to the war zone. All the negativity was bound to draw them in, and yet, none of the robots seemed to focus on them, instead only gunning for the human and faunus guarding the populace of New Vale.

They turned, to see the small army of blackness approach them. Soon, the fight became a three-sided front, except one side now had to defend against two at the same time.

Ruby jumped forward, and swung Crescent Rose, beheading both the grimm and the knights at the same time. Her eyes glowed bright white, and she didn't have a lot of time for messing around. A nevermore came at her from the sky, while a group of knights shot round and after round of dust bullets in her direction. She jumped in the air just as the grimm bird came to eat her, and straddled on its back, as the grimm attempted to shake her off. She let the shots from the altesian knights that were aimed for her wear down the grimm, and after a short while, the bird finally couldn't take any more pellets, and fell dead. Ruby used the momentum from the fallen grimm to launch herself onto another one, still flying in the air, and continued the chain. She had to reserve her power, as much as she could. Down below, she could easily see the many students fighting valiantly, as the forces of Atlas and New Vale reached some sort of stalemate, which grimm were more than eager to break.

"Help!" She heard someone call, and looked down, where a faunus students, having a short, twisted tail, was struggling to stand her ground, as both the robot and the grimm closed in on her. Ruby didn't waste a second, and finished off the nevermore she was on, and directed the fallen, dissipating body of the grimm at their direction. The corpse crashed into the other grimm and robots, destroying them, and Ruby quickly dashed to the injured students, checking her condition.

"I-It's N-Nothing, really..." The faunus tried to put on a brave face in front of the angel, but she could not lie. Her entire leg was cut open, and while her aura did it's best to heal her, it was just too slow.

"Blake! Injured!" She called, and Blake soon appeared, having heard her call from afar. When it came to healing, Yang was the best viable option, with her ability to pour her own aura into others, healing their bodies. Alas, Yang was not always close, and the rest of team RWBY took it upon themselves to ensure the wounded would get to the dustmaster, ASAP. Blake grabbed onto the faunus, and started to dash off at Yang's direction, using a clone to lighten the burden on herself and move faster. Soon after, the ground shook beneath her, as a giant maw emerged from underneath, and an enormous, blind, worm grimm burst through, intent on eating the silver eyed huntress. It threw Ruby in the air, and opened its mouth wide, waiting for her to fall into its maw. Ruby, while still being shocked by the sudden turn of events, quickly turned around, and tried to dash straight into the worm, her silver eyes glowing again. Just before she could. However, Weiss appeared out of nowhere, catching Ruby, and putting her on the ground nearby, as her armor shined even brighter, and she spun Myrtenaster's barrel, landing on a deep-brown crystal, and the knight's blade and her armor started to radiate the appropriate color. She stabbed the ground, and a pillar of earth came from beneath the grimm worm, stabbing it in the stomach, ending the monster.

"Weiss! I HAD this!" Ruby yelled at her, slightly annoyed at her interference. Weiss, however, did not say a word, and only jumped past Ruby, slashing an atlesian knight heading towards her with a dust blade. She landed beside it, and the robot fell to the grounds, parted into tiny pieces.

"..." Ruby wasn't quite sure what to say. On one hand, she could have handled the worm on her own, and Weiss didn't have to stop her mid-way. On the other, she knew just how much she meant for Weiss, and why she would act like this when it seemed she was about to endanger herself. "Thank you. Now let's go. We still have a lot ahead of us." Weiss made a small smile, happy at Ruby's praise, and he handed Ruby her hand and helped her up, as the two huntresses went ahead fought together.

Meanwhile, Blake reached Yang with the injured student. "Yang, she needs you." She said, and Yang quickly finished off the beowulf she held in her Blaze Celica and turned to her girlfriend, who laid the students on the ground. Yang went on one knee, and pressed her Dust and Blaze Celica's against the girl's leg, and focused as she felt her aura meld with the girl's body, closing her wounds faster. As she did that, more and more grimm were attracted to her amplified aura, and came to kill her. An ursa dashed towards the two, and Blake pulled Wilt & Blush, shooting the beast with the shotgun sheath, while creating clones to parry the surrounding grimm.

"STAY AWAY FROM HER!" Blake shouted and kept on, killing more and more grimm, as the ground around them turned darker and darker, until only a murky field of pitch black ichor was left around them. Yet, the grimm kept coming, and Blake was running out of aura. A king taiju arose to devour her, but Blake dodged, and as she came to run around the snake, she slipped on all the ichor, and fell to the ground.

"BLAKE!" Yang instantly left the hurt student behind, and came to Blake's assistance, as she noticed the many junior huntsmen gathering around her, prepared to take on the grimm together. Though each of them was much weaker than a grimm of that measure on their own, as one they managed to sever the black head off the grimm, and the white head of the monster blinked, coming to life, and taking control from the other side of the snake. It surprised the students, and slithered around them, knocking them off their feet, while Yang inserted a green dust shard into her Dust Celica, and punched the ground, sending an electrical charge at the grimm, both getting its attention and heavily damaging it at the same time. It lounged at Yang, and she caught it in her Dust Celica, and Pressed harder and harder, until the white head was crushed beneath the astronomic pressure of her dust arm, and fell to the ground, motionless and dispersing. Yang quickly ran to her partner, and focused on healing her basic wounds pronto, wanting to avoid the attention of the grimm around them. By now, the pig faunus was feeling much better, and her peers helped her up, and she went to Yang and Blake, wanting to thank the two.

"T-Thank you, dustmaster, army of one!" She smiled, but Yang and Blake, while being polite back, sneered at those names inside. While the nicknames stuck, they felt like the students around them were treating them less as fellow huntresses, and more as idols, meant to lead the charge and look amazing, rather than just do their job.

"It's okay! Now go! Your friends are probably worried about you!" Yang told her, and she ran off, looking for the small team she was a part of. Although Glynda initially didn't set the students as teams when she trained them in the starting camp, and she didn't force them to do so when they moved to Beacon, many of the students found it was truly the most optimal way to improve themselves, and seeked each other out, forming various teams and bands that slept, trained, and fought together. Some teams were the traditional four, some more than that or less, but in all cases they stuck to one another, and proudly defended their home.

Before any of them could rest, even for a little, a barrage of shots filled the air, as the military droids made another move, and grouped together, trying to take down the most powerful of the enemy units, namely team RWBY. The four regrouped, and turned to the incoming projectiles, and Weiss focused her mind, as the dilation glyph started to draw itself on the ground around them, and time began to slow down. She quickly took action, and while Ruby used her semblance to get away, Blake manifested afterimages, and Yang just straight out took the bullets head on, absorbing the dust into her Dust Celica, Weiss dashed at the source directly, and prepared her sword. The atlesian knights, not configured to deal with a being moving that fast relative to them, struggled to even scrape Weiss, as she danced around them, stabbing and beheading many of the robots. The metallic remains fell to the ground, as Weiss couldn't take anymore, and the glyph was released, and she grasped for air. At least, they were done. The first wave of Ironwood's invasion was finished, and all they had to do now was rout the remaining grimm, and they could finally rest.

"AAAHHHHH" All of a sudden, they heard a sharp shriek, coming from their left. Team RWBY rushed to see what had happened, and when they got there, Ruby's eyes turned to horror: On the ground, was the body of a beowulf, as its remains turned to black smoke. Next to it, however, they saw the body of one of the students, bleeding out with a claw mark where his heart should be, as his friends stood next to him, some crying, some still can't fully understand what had just happened. Yang didn't waste a second, and rushed to her aid, applying as much aura as was left in her.

"Don't worry kid. You're gonna be fine..." Yang could barely see the human body that laid before her. All her eyes showed her was a small, green aura, slowly wilting and dying. Ruby, sensing the inevitable, came to him as well, and held his hand.

"What's your name?" She asked him, and he looked up, seeing the fabled silver eyes stare directly at him, and he felt like the grasp of death on his body grew stronger.

"Sh-Sh-Shi..." The child whispered. Out of all the chaos, Yang could clearly hear the human's name, and her vision returned to the physical world, to see she was treating a frail, blonde boy.

"Well, I got you, Shi." She tried to reassure him again that he was going to recover, but no matter how hard she tried to stabilize his aura, it only got worse. _No... No..._ She got more and more distressed, and finally, she couldn't hold on to him anymore.

"P-Please... just keep my friends safe... ms. angel..." He said with his final breaths, as Shi's body stopped moving, and he laid on the ground, lifeless.

Ruby felt suspended in place. She couldn't move, she couldn't think, and the only thing that ran through her mind on loop were the boy's last words. Even though she already saw death before, even dealt death to others, so far, she only saw in her own eyes the deaths of her enemies.

She was supposed to protect him, and she failed.

She could feel them. The stares. The expectations from the people around her. They were all hoping SHE would become their salvation, the one being with the power to end this horrible war. It had only been a single day of fighting, and Ruby already managed to let someone die.

The grimm got closer and closer. They had no remorse for the fallen warrior, and kept on their cold, vicious attire, the killing intent oozing from their breaths. While the rest of her team was frozen in shock and grief, Weiss stepped forward, preparing her repair. The chain of conclusions was vivid to her: The grimm hurt the boy. The boy's death hurt Ruby.

And the grimm will PAY.

She channeled her aura through her armor, and in the blinding flash of white light she emitted from her sheer power, Weiss made short work of the grimm. She felt angry and furious. She didn't even let any of the grimm the chance to fight back, as she outright slaughtered them, showing not a single hint of grace or mercy. She came at a beuwulf, and stabbed it, felling the beast, and while that would have been enough, she just didn't stop, and continued to brutally slash the grimm's dead, evaporating body, until even the ashes that remianed were too small and fragmented for her to be able to split. The other grimm, somehow fearing _her_ , started to step back, but Weiss didn't let them go, and used her glyphs to round them up, before creating a ring of glyphs around them, each configured to push away from itself. The glyphs turned black, and Weiss felt her aura stretch thinner and thinner, as she crushed the grimm against each other, making their bodies go through each other, killing them all. It was a brutal and gruesome scene, as body parts and black blood started to fly around, splattering Weiss' face, and some of the students around them covered their eyes with their arms, not wanting to look anymore. At the end of it all, Weiss just stood limp in a pool of blackness, as a maddened smile crept onto her face.

And Weiss laughed.

Her laugh was not one of joy, or happiness. It was corrupt, cruel even, as Weiss' mind relished the thought of bringing death to those who hurt her Ruby. She looked at her girlfriend, and saw her body intact, and Weiss felt something. She felt _good._ She was pleased with her own actions, and with Ruby safe, she allowed herself to rejoice, having successfully protected her Ruby. But as she looked, searching for a sign of relief from her silver-eyed companion, Weiss found none of it. Instead, the silver eyes stared at her with horror and confusion.

"R-Ruby...?" Weiss called out her name out loud. She had no idea why Ruby would do such a face, and Weiss approached her a little closer, only to see Ruby going back a little as well.

"Ruby, what's wrong? I-I protected you, haven't I?..." Weiss asked and tried to get closer.

"Weiss, that was terrifying... REALLY terrifying..." Ruby could barely stand to look at her, all covered in black ichor. "W-What's gotten into you?..."

Weiss pondered on the question for a brief moment, and didn't notice as her demeanor was returning to its usual state that the change even happened. She decided to consult her memories of the few moments that just passed, and tried to recall. She saw that boy die, saw Ruby's face tear up, and looked at the grimm.

And from there until this very moment, everything went black in her mind.

Weiss tried to recall harder, but to no avail. Nothing popped into her mind, and so, she turned to Ruby, who have seemed to calm a tiny bit herself.

"Ruby, what DID I do?"

Ruby could only remember the laughter. It was something she never thought Weiss was even CAPABLE of doing, so she merely recounted that. Weiss' expression went to shock, as she realized what she had just done. She looked deep into herself, and saw something new: Her heart was halfway open at this point. At first, Weiss felt pleased, as that meant her emotions are getting stronger and stronger inside of her. But a few seconds later, she looked closer and saw what really flooded out of the cracks: Darkness. Hatred, rage, contempt, disgust. All of those emotions were a part of her as well, and she saw how if she did nothing to control them, they would consume her, throwing Weiss into an endless cycle of madness, while locking her away from her friends forever. At the same time, she felt fear: Up until that moment, when Weiss felt something, she embraced it fully, letting it manifest in her. But now, that the only option that remained before her was to limit those feelings, she was afraid she would lose them permanently. Ruby, seeing her stuck in place as well, simply approached her, and gave Weiss a hug. In the end, she couldn't blame Weiss for her outburst. She knew how Weiss felt about her, and it was only inevitable she would snap at some point, and Ruby was going to be there, to pull her out of it.

Yang still tried to breathe life into the now corpse that laid before her. She just couldn't accept it. An innocent good human, a living treasure of beauty and miracles, was now dead before her, and she could do nothing about it. The tears began to flow, as Yang began to cry and shout at him to get better and wake up.

"He's gone..." Blake turned to her and tried to place her hand on Yang's shoulder. All of a sudden, Yang grabbed her hand with her, as the Blaze Celica began to form, and Yang's face turned to her, filled with rage. She couldn't see who stood before her, the voice not even ringing any bells at the moment, but whoever that was, it had the nerve to tell Yang it was too late. Her mind repressed it so far, but with those word's the truth crept into her mind, and she could no longer hide from it. The aura before her felt so familiar, but Yang couldn't see beyond that, as anger consumed her, and she lashed out at the Blake, who she could not recognize, and her semblance made her burn.

"Y-Yang! Stop!" Blake tried to free herself from Yang's grip, but she was just too strong. Yang tossed her to the floor, anger and redness in her eyes, as the aura before her squirmed and tried to crawl away.

"Yang! No! Please!" Blake called out again, but her pleas for mercy fell on deaf ears. "Don't you recognize me?!" Yang didn't say a word. Right now, she only saw as this single aura dared incur her wrath, and it was going to pay the price. She got closer and closer to Blake, as her Dust and Blaze Celicas morphed into claws, and she brandished them in front of her partner.

"YANG! IT'S ME, BLAKE!" Blake tried one last gambit, and this time, it stopped Yang in place. Her eyes went back to their liac color, and the physical world faded in into her field of view, as she realized what she was about to do. Yang fell to her knees, and covered her face with her hands, before quickly sending them away from her eyes, looking at the Dust and Blaze Celicas with horror.

"I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." She repeated over and over while sobbing. At that point, her aura vision was starting to look like less of a blessing, and more like a horrible curse. In her rage, Yang couldn't see anyone around her. She could only see auras, and her mind just detached itself from its physicality, viewing only the souls of the world, while not differentiating between them. Of course, she still knew the people that walked around her, but as she lost her connection to the actual Remnant, her mind began to block those memories out, leaving her with the inability to know who is who. In that state, Yang could easily hurt someone she cared about, without even knowing who it was, and the thought terrified her. After a moment, she stared at the Dust Celica, and grabbed it with her left hand, starting to pull.

"Yang, stop!" Blake called to her. "I'm okay! You shouldn't do this!"

"But what happens when I lose control?!" Yang shouted back. "I can barely recognize myself now, Blake. I can feel the last grasp I have on my regular sight dissipating! I have to pull it out, and NOW!" She pulled even harder, but the arm won't come off. It came with extreme pain and physical trauma, as Yang was literally trying to tear her arm apart, and after a few seconds, she couldn't bear the pain, and collapsed.

"We need to take her to Beacon." Ruby decreed, and almost immediately, a small group of students with a stretcher came, and picked up Yang, while another one of them called Glynda, and reported the whole thing. It felt kind of relieving, knowing that she could count on the people around her, as Shi's death only served to believe in her further.

"Will you guide him to the afterlife?" Came another student to her, and tugged her cape, taking her attention. She quickly realized the full meaning of the term 'angel' as he spoke those words. Some of them literally saw her as a divine being, sent from above to help them, and she knew that if she told them she was no such thing, it could potentially break their moral. She stared at him.

"...Yes. I will." She lied. Ruby had no connections to the forces that be, but she needed to be strong. For her friends, and for the people of New Vale. If she couldn't be a hero, she could at least be a symbol.

The students around her started to cheer up. True, one of their ranks died that day, and it was sad and discouraging, but they also had a new hope to rely on: Ruby, the red angel, stood amongst them, and pointed her scythe of death towards the enemy. It made them feel safe, secure even, that their victory was guaranteed. Ruby herself quietly went to Weiss, who gave her a hug. Even though Weiss still couldn't fully feel it, she remembered what it was like, to be put on a pedestal, for everyone to admire. Ruby might have reignited their hopes for a better future, but the price she had to pay in her method was dire.

"Weiss..." Ruby looked at her, and let herself fall asleep in Weiss' embrace.

* * *

The general was sitting in his war room, his lieutenant and the administrators of each division sitting around the long table on top of which various holograms floated and interacted. This was James at his peak: He was dead-pan serious, studied the situation from every possible angle, and looked for the best and most efficient form of attack. While he rarely deviated from his usual methodology when waging war, the first wave was the most important, letting him sense the scope of his enemies, and strategize the following waves accordingly. As he and his right hands debated on which form of machinery to send next, a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in." Ironwood spoke with a monotone voice, and a lone soldier came inside, and gave him a quick salute, before opening his mouth.

"Sir! The first wave has been dismantled, and I have come to report to you, as per your instructions, sir!"

"Good, then it took them quite a while." Ironwood had to see how long it would take the forces of New Vale to gain control over the situation. Them achieving victory against such old models of his atlesian knights was inevitable, but now, that he saw it took them several hours to win, he could tweak his strategy even further.

"Furthermore, sir! A large group of grimm had intercepted on the battlefield, leading to a prolonged fight, sir!"

"I see then." His calculation had already included the grimm's involvement in the fight, but it was good to see his soldiers still maintained the same command to memorize his orders. "Then you are relieved for now. Go back to your station, and keep watch."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier shouted with great enthusiasm and ran off, headed to the control room, from which they monitored the battlefield.

"Well, general, what do you suggest we send out now?" The director of the robotics division asked him. Ironwood gave him a stern look, and answered.

"For now, continue with the default course of action, and send a wave of knights-310. We will wait with the 340 model for the next wave, once we have more data on their forces." Some place in James' mind told him what he was doing is overdoing it, but he quickly banished the thought. He needed to be certain, in every smallest action he ever took, if he wanted others to follow. It was this mantra that landed his the position of general, after all.

"Continue with the meeting for now." He got up from his chair. "I have an important project to oversee."

"Of course, general." Each of the heads saluted to him quickly, and he left the room, heading towards the lower floors of his tower. Once he got to the bottom floor, and the elevator stopped, and stepped outside, only to see an old, white-bearded man, working on some schematics.

"I assume everything is going well?" Ironwood turned to him, and the man, without breaking a sweat, looked at him. He was tired and overworked, but he could not refuse the general, seeing as it was his last key towards freedom.

"Yes, Ironwood. Everything is going well. The project should be ready in a few day's time."

"Carry on, then." James turned back and went towards the elevator.

"I expect great things from you, Dr. Pollendina."


	42. Outer Angels, Inner demons

The gang was sitting near the infirmary of Beacon, waiting for someone that could give fill them in on Yang's condition. After Weiss' psychotic break, and Yang's subsequent meltdown, it was clear the team could not fight at the moment, and they had to head back, to recover. While Weiss had her team to support her, and get her out of her troubled state, Yang had no one who could understand her in the world, seeing as her position is unique. After they had defeated the first wave on all fronts, and no carrier had been observed in the distance, they figured that Ironwood needed a little more time to send in the next batch of robots, and they used this spontaneous ceasefire to regroup and heal at Beacon. After waiting for a while, a nurse came outside, with a grim look on her face,

"S-So, is she okay?" Blake asked her, the nurse's face raising distress in her mind.

"Yes. She is awake, if you want to visit her." The nursed opened the door wider and let the three in, leading them through the various halls of the school's infirmary. In each room they passed by, Ruby could see many of the injured students, that managed to survive, resting in beds, with their friends by their sides. At each room someone noticed her, the rest looked at Ruby as well, as she could feel the admiration and awe beaming in on her. A minute or two of navigating later, the nurse stopped in front of one of the rooms, and when she opened it, the rest saw a slightly distressed Yang, looking right back at them.

"O-Oh. Hey, guys..." She tried to greet them, but the moment her eyes met Blake's, she turned her head to the side, her face filled with guilt. Blake, feeling her pain, came in close, and sat beside her on the bed.

"It's okay Yang. I'm not angry with you; you were just under a lot of pressure and grief." She did not intend to lessen the pain of seeing a life lost, but this was the truth of things, at least in her mind.

"I know, but..." Yang tried to explain, and found herself stuck mid-sentence, not being able to put her feelings into words at all. She was the only one in Remnant she knew that implanted Dust into their bodies the way she did, and thus, she had no one to share her unique feelings with. There were times when Yang even felt she was becoming less and less human. Of course, her body didn't change, sans the Dust Celica, but she did feel a shift in herself, though it was in something intangible, that she couldn't even bring to words.

Yang's very soul was morphing and changing.

After a few short minutes, an old looking doctor holding a group of papers and sheets came into the room, and the nurse, sensing what was about to unfold, left the room quietly, letting them be.

"Ah, I see that your team has arrived." He turned to Yang. "That is good. We have a solemn matter to discuss."

"What is it? Is Yang going to be fine?" Blake asked, as her worry for her lover kept increasing with each passing second.

"Her body, yes. However..." He took one of the lists in his hands and presented it to the girls. On it, various numbers appeared, divided to various charts and graphs.

"This is Yang's blood test. We took it shortly after you brought her in, and while most of her vitals are in the right range, there is one substance that is flowing overly rampant through her."

"Well, what is it?!" Yang couldn't take the suspense anymore, and lashed out at the old man. He looked at her, and the single word he uttered sent her into shock.

"Dust."

The team looked at him, confused. Sure, Yang had her Dust and Blaze Celicas, but none of them could conceive that the dust somehow found its way into her bloodstream.

"But how is it even possible?"Ruby asked with a pale face.

"Well, technically, most hunters have some degree of dust in their bodies." The doctor explained. "You temper with it all the time, either shooting it, forging it now, holding it in your hand. It is only inevitable that it would find its way into the body, through open wounds on the battlefield of careless handling. However, in Yang's case, the dust levels in her blood are off the charts. It stuck itself into every fiber of her bring, and now, even if she removes the Dust Celica and somehow manages to extract the base crystal for the Blaze Celica from her left hand, it would be too late: Yang's entire body is now permanently infused with dust."

As the group looked at him with horror, he reached out for the papers in his hand, and pulled an X-ray sheet, holding it out for the girls. In the center of the photo, a large, crystalline object appeared.

"Doctor... What is that?..." Yang asked hesitantly, fearing the answer. The doctor's face turned darker and darker, as he told her the empiric truth.

"That, Yang, is your heart."

The entire team's faces went bleach white. Yang began to sob, and Blake held her close, not sure what to do anymore.

"Right now, the heart seems to be beating just fine, somehow the dust moving out of the way in order to allow it to pump blood through your body." He tried to give them a tiny bit of good news. "Though, I should add, this is a brand new medical case, never seen before in recent history. All the theories about the matter state you should be dead with so much dust inside of you, and yet, here you are, alive and kicking." As he went on, and explained the situation in further detail, Yang's mind turned back to her memory, to the small, red book she found in her house, and about all the legends it presented to her. While the insertion of dust into the human body was a forgotten part of humanity's history, only appearing in old tales and myths, where many of today's society wouldn't find them, those who did talk about the subject always warned her about one thing: Don't. Do. It. Yang, of course, ignored all the warning signs, and went with her plan anyway, and now, she believed this was her punishment. But, in the far reaches of her soul, something else burned just as bright. A tiny possibility, a seed of a new kind of thinking.

_What if the legends were wrong?_

By no means, did Yang honestly think dust infusion was without consequence. That fact was now clearly displayed in front of her. But now, that she had a deeper understanding of her condition, the pieces began to form in her mind: _So THIS is why the Dust Celica granted me all those abilities..._ She thought to herself. If the dust indeed flowed in her blood, to all of her body, that would mean some of it would also reach her eyes, her ears, her legs, everywhere. She could not accept it as a curse at the moment. The warmth the dust made her feel contradicted that. On the other hand, she could feel it. The dust was not flowing just through her body, but through her mind as well. The times she would lose herself to the aura sight were gradually becoming longer lately, but she didn't want to say anything. She knew no one would understand.

"In any event, she needs plenty of rest for now." The doctor concluded. "At least a week."

"Well, in case you haven't noticed, we have a WAR to fight." Yang objected. "And I WON'T leave my team behind as they go to the front on their own."

"No, Yang." Blake looked into her eyes. "I won't let you. I love you too much to see you get hurt again." Blake saw what happened last time Yang failed to save a life, and she couldn't bring herself to watch it happen again.

"Well, I'm going!" Yang tried to get up from the bed and sit, but both Blake and Ruby held her down.

"Please don't make it harder than it should be..." Ruby calmly asked her. Yang looked, and in the constant, uncontrollable flashes of her aura vision and regular vision, she could see a change happening in Ruby's aura: She was filled with fear. There were so many people hanging their hoped around her now, that Yang was honestly surprised that Ruby didn't snap yet. She tried to struggle for a brief moment, before calming down and returning to her bed.

"...Fine. I'll stay." she surrendered, and the rest of her team, slightly relieved to hear her cooperating, decided to leave Yang to rest for now and left the infirmary. Blake went to sit by herself, not wanting to be in company at the moment, while Ruby wandered off around Beacon, Weiss, as usual, sticking close to her. As they passed through the corridors, many of the students that hung around looked at her, as the same words could be heard.

"It's the angel!"

"She can help us win!"

Ruby didn't even know how to react anymore. She was tired, both physically and mentally, and the supposed cheers weren't helping at the moment.

"Hey, Ruby." She heard a voice come from behind her and Weiss, and turned to see Jaune, walking towards them alone.

"Hey Jaune, where are Nora and Ren?" She couldn't help but ask. Jaune was just the kind of people she needed to see right now: He knew her for who she was, and didn't care for titles or myths spread around about her. He was one of the few people she could be completely herself with.

"Nora was injured in the fight yesterday. It isn't serious, but Ren decided to stay behind and keep an eye on her. You know, in case she decides to get into trouble." He gave a slight chuckle, trying to lighten up the mood, only to fail.

"Weiss, do you mind leaving us be for now? I want to talk to Jaune about something personal."

Ruby's request made Weiss cringe a little, but she knew she could not turn Ruby down, after what had happened the day before. From Ruby's description, Weiss was out of control, slaying grimm with extreme prejudice like the which she had never seen before. She didn't have any recollection of the events themselves, but she trusted Ruby to tell the truth, and thus, agreed to leave her alone, and went ahead, needing to think about things as well.

"Let's go." Ruby signaled Jaune to follow her, wanting to find a private place to talk, as the two toured Beacon until finally reaching the edge of Beacon's cliff, where they sat around, looking at the sunset. They next wave should arrive any day now, and they didn't have a long time to treasure the view from the school, before having to return to the front lines.

"Hey Jaune," She started to talk, but her eyes wandered towards Jaune's belt, where she saw a golden circlet tied to him, hanging. Pyrrha's circlet.

"Ruby? You wanted to say something?" He asked her, noticing she stopped in the middle of her sentence. She abruptly turned to him, and opened her mouth.

"Please Jaune, tell me, how did she do it?!" Pyrrha was a living legend when she was alive. Many people regarded her as invincible even, and throughout her entire life, Pyrrha was always seen as someone more, someone higher than the rest. _He has to know._ She thought to herself. _He has to know who she managed to cope with it! She spent most of her day training him; she must have talked to him about it at some point!_

"How did who do what?" Jaune turned to her confused, and noticed Ruby's eyes were beginning to tear up.

"How did Pyrrha deal with all the attention and titles!" She called, and Jaune turned silent. "I can't take it anymore, Jaune. Everywhere I walk, everyone calls me an angel. They even began to fabricate stories and legends about me! I just feel so alone, like no one here even sees me as a human anymore!" She let her feeling run wild, and Jaune just sat there, listening to her every word. "I don't want this! I want to be treated the same way as everyone else! So please tell me! How did Pyrrha deal with all the isolation?!" She finally stopped, and caught her breath, as Jaune tried to find the best way to tell her about Pyrrha's life.

"The truth is, Ruby, she didn't." He calmly said, and Ruby's face twisted in misunderstanding.

"What do you mean 'didn't'? Then how did she always look so calm and friendly?"

"Just because she was able to put a smooth exterior, doesn't mean she was all right." Jaune became serious. "People always put her on a pedestal, making her into something much larger than she really was. In the end, everyone thought she was so out of their league; Pyrrha barely made any friends, everyone around her turning away in awe."

"I know all of this!" Ruby was becoming a little impatient. She already got that. She EXPERIENCES all of this all the time lately. She just wanted to know what to do. "But what did she do?!"

"Well, Ruby." Jaune spoke in a calm manner. "She found the people who would treat her as friends, no matter who or what she was."

"But I already have those!" Ruby called again. "How do I make them stop?!" She wanted it to cease. The peering eyes, the expectations, all of it.

"The sad reality is, you don't." Jaune silently spoke, and after a while of screaming, Ruby quieted down. It was too much for her, and she needed an escape from the title.

"I wish I could just tell them you know? That I am not an angel..." Ruby pondered out loud. It would have been so easy, but she knew that so many depended on her, and as much as it bothered her mind, she was indeed needed right now. Besides that, she had a feeling that even if she told them about it, not many would believe her. Her silver eyes were just too much of a difference between her and the rest of the huntsmen and civilians in Beacon, that her claims not to be an angel would only make others believe her humility was an even stronger sign of her divinity.

"Don't worry Ruby. If there is one thing I'm sure about, is that we will get through this." He took the tiara and held it close to his face.

"Isn't that right, Pyrrha?" He murmured to himself, and they had to part and go to sleep, waiting for the mayhem tomorrow.

* * *

The next day finally came, and Team RWBY, without Yang, stood in front of the northern border again, as the students around them prepared for combat, the carrier in the distance dispatching yet another small army of robotic assailants. Weiss donned her armor, Blake let the afterimages jitter around her, and Ruby, while still having slight fear in her heart, focused her aura into her eyes, and the silver changed into white, glowing radiantly. The moment she did this, she could feel the students around her cheer and yell, getting pumped up for the fight ahead. At the atlesian knights approached, so did the grimm began to emerge from their sides, and attack the huntsmen of New Vale as well. Ruby felt as everyone looked up at her, waiting for her command or something similar.

"Go! Attack!" She shouted and ran forward, as the many warriors followed her orders and started to engage the enemy. These knights were a little harder to take down, but still, it was no problem to Ruby and her silver eyes, as she jumped from knight to grimm to knight, bringing swift and merciless death with her every swing. However, this time, the bodies began to pile up. More and more students made the ultimate sacrifice, and threw their lives away for their friends to survive. It wasn't many, but it was enough to make Ruby realize something horrible: They did it because of her. She started to panic. _What are they doing?! Nooo!_ She screamed internally, as another one threw himself at the maw of the beowulf, just to give his friends enough time to surround the kill the beast. Ruby, without even thinking, dashed through the crowd, shoving aside both friends and foe, and got to him just in the nick time, grabbing his hand as the beowulf came to devour the student. She threw him away, and in the fury if her silver eyes, the grimm was gone, returned to mere ashes right before their eyes.

"Thank you angel!" The student and his team called to her, and didn't even stay to hear her respond, as they ran back into battle. She wanted to warn them, to make sure they won't try the same stupid stunt again, but alas, they were already too far off. Ruby redoubled herself, and readied Crescent Rose, as five atlesian knights came before her. She screamed, and her eyes glowed even harder, as everything went white in her mind, and she couldn't see anything. She dashed forth, and swung her scythe at what appeared to her to be absolute whiteness, while in truth, she was slaying both machine and grimm en masse. The students around her saw this, and their morale boosted, as they followed her war path, cleaning out any remains of the enemy that managed to survive her fury. All the while, Weiss followed her close, making sure nothing managed to hurt her. As Ruby was now, she could only focus on what her eyes directed her at, leaving her completely open to attacks from all directions. An ursa jumped from her right, bringing its claw at the huntress, and Weiss intercepted, stabbing the bear in the stomach, and loading a light blue crystal, freezing it from the inside. She then swung the frozen, yet dissipating grimm at his cohorts, and threw it in their direction, smashing the rest of the grimm under it's weight. Weiss focused, and a glyph began to form within the block of ice the remained from the grimm, and clutched her fist, blowing it up, as the many shards of ice that came from it launched themselves at everything around them, dismantling another group of atlesian knights, and a couple of deathstalkers.

"JUST DIE! DIE ALREADY!" Ruby shouted as she massacred them, one by one. Any more fighting, and having to watch others sacrifice themselves for no reason, and she felt like she could lose her mind to madness. All of a sudden, she felt a sharp pain coming from her eyes. Her aura had run out, and she had to stop. Instead though, Ruby pushed on, exceeding her limits, and did not quit, even though her entire body was aching and begging for rest.

"Ruby look out!" Blake called to her, but Ruby didn't listen, too focused on keeping herself conscious as a wyvern came from the came, mouth open. Blake jumped between the two, even before Weiss could respond, having to deal with Atlas' forces a short distance away, from formed several clones, dashing against the grimm and knocking it back, while Blake herself go onto to it, and pulled both Wilt and Gambol Shroud, beheading the small drake. She quickly jumped down from its head, and landed next to Ruby, who was still at it. Blake looked at her, and saw as Ruby's entire body convulsed and twitched in pain, as she kept herself going, even though any more could do some irreversible damages to her.

"I'm sorry." Blake said, and attacked Ruby, knocking her out. Ruby's unconscious body fell to the floor, and her silver eyes finally calmed down, and she fell into a deep sleep almost immediately.

"BLAKE!" Weiss came at her with her full fury, but the faunus stopped her before she could attack her teammate.

"Ruby needed to rest. Take her away, and make sure she is safe." Blake took quick control of the situation, and Weiss, having barely any time to argue, begrudgingly took her precious Ruby on her shoulders, and marched away from the battlefield. Many of the students, who noticed this, started to feel discouraged, and the grimm showed a burst of strength, powered by their fear.

"Don't worry; I'll protect you." Blake whispered to herself, as she charged head on against the hordes of both grimm and atlesian knights, prepared to take them all by herself. As she ran towards what could have been her final front, Blake repeated the same mantra in her head. _I have to protect them... I have to keep them safe..._ Nothing else mattered to her anymore. If she had to end her own life in order to ensure humanity and the faunus would live on, she would do it gladly. Blake felt as her body was splitting apart, over and over, as clone after clone appeared by her side. After a while of multiplying, she managed to create enough Blakes to confront the combined forces of Atlas and the grimm, and gave a loud battle cry, repeated a thousand times over, as the army of one and the harbingers of death did battle. She had to constantly split her aura apart, trying to give the clones she made as little as she could, making them very easy to disperse, but for every one that was felled, Blake made another. Soon, the many students tried to help her and fight, charging as well, but as they sought to raise their weapons, Blake immediately sent a clone to hold them down, to keep them away. Seeing people die over and over was too much for her, and she had to keep them away. Only then could she really protect them. She heard their calls, to let them join and help her, but Blake didn't listen. She was too absorbed in her own desire to guard, that she neglected her diminishing aura completely, while trying to maintain her small army and dodge incoming strikes, all at the same time.

The grimm screeched and bellowed, while the knights' mechanical bodies clunked against each other, as they threw themselves at her wall of illusions, just as much as Blake tried to stop them. It seemed like she had the upper hand, but to everyone that looked, the result was inevitable: Blake's aura was running out, her clones becoming weaker and weaker, and soon, she found herself taking longer and longer to generate another copy of herself to fight, and her numbers were going down, and fast. Still, as much as the students tried to intervene and help her, she kept them at bay, just as much as she did her opponents. Blake's vision was going dark. Soon, her hearing was starting to dim out as well. Her entire body was starting to eat itself in order to keep going, her end coming soon if she didn't stop. _I'm so close._ She thought to herself. _Just a little more, and I'll be able to rest._ She pushed herself further, slashing and slicing everything that came close to her with Wilt and Gambol Shroud, all the while her clones copying her movements, and slowly, the ground they stood on shifted into mountains of ichor and scraps. In the end, though, she was outdone by the atlesian military, and one of the robots managed to shoot her in the back.

Blake fell to the ground. Soon after, her clones all dispersed, one after the other, as she could no longer maintain them. The robots came above her, as Blake gave a faint smile, ready to accept her fate. She closed her eyes, and waited for the end.

But it did not come.

She heard an explosion above her, as a lone battle cry fused with rage pierced her ears. The hand of death never came, and soon, she could feel the robot's presence had all but disappeared, having either gone someplace else or blown to smithereens. Even the grimm, who'd be by now be feasting on her flesh were gone, and she had no idea who or what could have happened that would cause them to leave her be like that. She dared to open her eyes, and what she saw both amazed and terrified her.

Yang Xiao Long, her long-time partner, and now-lover, was standing near her, drawing their attention.

She looked a little closer, and saw how Yang's entire hair was practically on fire. Both the Dust and Blaze Celicas were in their claw form, but the most amazing thing was her eyes: Blake expected them to be blood red, as her semblance would usually make them, but instead, they glowed bright gold, the same color of the Dust Celica reflecting in them. Yang steadily moved through the battlefield, jumping from grimm to droid, annihilating them all. However, the way she moved was different than her regular anger. Even though Blake could clearly see that her expression was that of wrath, Yang's hands moved gracefully, tearing the grimm apart with mere punches and sending shockwaves of earth all around her. A nevermore and griffon came from the air, and Yang, without missing a beat, turned her Dust Celica towards two of the robot that shot green ammunition at her, letting the small specks of dust gather in her right arm. Slowly, a green strand began to form on it, and Blake saw as the Dust Celica started to vibrate, pulses of energy surrounding it. Yang closed her fist, and threw a punch in the grimm's direction, as a literal lightning bolt came out of her hand, and zapped both of them into ashes, covering Yang with their remains. She didn't seem to mind, though, and just continued on her killing spree, almost single-handedly beating both forces into submission, and while the older, wiser grimm knew better and got away, the younger were attracted to her overflowing aura, and proceeded to attempt to devour her, only to be pulverized as soon as they got in her range.

By now, Blake managed to rise a little, and sat on the pile of metallic body parts she was on, watching her lover tear through the ranks of Atlas with ferocity akin to the grimm themselves. Yang didn't even seem to tire out, and piles and piles of bodies formed around her as well, with robotic pieces and grimm carcasses flying all over the place. She grabbed a small beowulf, poured her aura into it, and it exploded in her hand, its bony parts scattering and jamming the visual sensors of the atlesian knights around her. Yang proceeded to send a shockwave of pure aura at those who still managed to stand, and she blew them away, as the last of them was defeated, and Yang could finally calm down, her arms returning to their normal state, and Blake trying to stand up, and walk to her. As she did, though, she noticed one, odd detail: Yang's anger might have calmed down, but her eyes did not change color, and the golden hue still shone through them. She reached her partner, and gave her a tight hug, Yang for some reason not returning it.

"Great job, Yang." Blake turned to her, and while Yang looked back, Blake couldn't help but notice it was like Yang was looking _through her,_ not _at_ her.

"Yang? Are you okay?" Blake tried to talk to her once more, but again, Yang didn't answer, as though she didn't recognize her own name.

"Yang, Can you hear me?" Blake tried reminding her of her name, seeing as the last time, it managed to snap Yang back to reality, but alas, Yang just didn't respond.

Blake tried to give her a slight punch, but Yang didn't do anything to stop her, not showing any sort of feeling. Having exhausted all of her options, Blake came up with one, final idea; and focused her aura, and tried to move it around, getting Yang's attention.

"Can you hear me?"

"Of course I can hear you." Yang replied with a smile. "But who's Yang?"

"What?... You are." Blake became worried. Yang told them this was happening to her before, but Blake never managed to grasp what she meant by it up until that moment.

"Anyway, it's a good thing I came, huh?" Yang started to talk. "I was just sitting on the bed, when all of a sudden, I saw so many auras dying. It was horrible, so I got out and came here, to help you." She looked at Blake with her gold eyes.

"Yang? What is my name?" Blake had to know that she remembered, and asked, fearing the worst.

"What do you mean? We are all just auras." Yang gave her another smile, as Blake's face turned white with terror, as she realized that had happened.

Yang was finally overtaken, and her grasp on the physical world was gone.


	43. Beliefs of The Blind

In the weeks that followed, Yang's condition didn't improve in the slightest.

She still fought besides them, heading to the border with the others, and took down the many atlesian knights that were sent in ever increasing waves. However, no matter how much they tried, she just didn't recognize any of them. The only to get Yang's attention was to move your aura differently, and she would notice the change, and come over. Addressing her by name also became completely pointless, as well as tugging of pushing her, as Yang just stopped paying any sort of attention to the physical world around her, instead only seeing the auras of the people. On top of all that, the stress and exhaustion were only growing higher and higher, and soon, at least for Ruby, a small cult had been developing all around her, many of the students and even the adult huntsmen asking for her protection before heading out to battle.

"Look, it's her!" They all pointed and averted their gaze, as to not stare directly at the diving being. She could barely walk through the halls anymore, as in an ironic twist, the more 'love' the people around her gave, the more she felt alone. Weiss, as usual, followed her closely, becoming almost a literal knight to her. More than once, she had to save Ruby, not only from an incoming grimm or robot, but from other humans, as some of which saw her not as a guardian, but as a tyrant, lording over immense amounts of power, which she could turn on them at any given moment. In fact, the thought occurred to Ruby more and more lately.

 _I can just wipe them all..._ The madness crept inside again, and whispered its cruel, twisted logic to her directly. _If everyone is dead... Everything will be quiet... I can finally rest..._

Weiss, who saw Ruby's face, as a twisted grin started to form on it, quickly slapped her, breaking Ruby out of whatever delusion she was entertaining. The moment she did it, Ruby looked directly at her, eye filled with gratitude.

"T-Thanks... I really needed that..." She said weakly. This was becoming too much, and with every passing day, more and more people died.

"She hurt the angel!" They heard someone call from the sidelines, and soon, a crowd gathered around the two huntresses, Weiss summoning her armor, and gritting her teeth. None of them even attempted to try and understand her Ruby, and Weiss felt she was the only one capable of being there for her. The group of students started to approach the two, with bloodstained expressions.

"You are not pure enough to be by her side." One of them said. "Leave the angel alone; she can handle herself." None of them even noticed what was going inside Weiss' mind.

"I am not PURE?!" Weiss called. "None of you even understand her! I am the only one here who actually took the time to see Ruby for who she really is! And furthermore, she is MINE, and no one else's!" Weiss genuinely believed that to be true. As far as she was concerned, the two belonged to each other, and anyone who was going to get in their way was going to answer to her.

"Grab the heretic!" Called another, and two students, armed with ropes, approached Weiss, who drew her blade, itching to teach them a lesson. The moment before she could, however, Ruby finally couldn't stand it anymore, and jumped between the three, holding her hands out wide.

"STOP! What are you doing?!" She called, and tried to talk some sense into the overzealous students. "This is a war between Atlas and us! What is infighting going to get for any of us?!" She yelled, and the crowd went silent. She was so close, to just admitting the truth, and breaking the angel's image in their heads, but a small part of her, for as much as she hated to admit it, kind of enjoyed it. She was hailed as a hero, at least to some degree, and the child in her still relished the idea, and forced her to keep going.

"As your angel, I COMMAND you to leave my girlfriend alone!" Ruby tried to avoid ordering people around, even though they would gladly give their lives for her, which was exactly the problem. If she wasn't careful, the sacrifices would begin again, and she just managed to convince them it wasn't a good idea, making up some excuse about it being in vein. She actually found herself going to the library in what little spare time they had, reading religious scriptures, in order to shape her act better. After a minute of silence and some carefully picked words, the students finally left, and went on to the usual business, whilst still making sour and murderous glares at Weiss. It was their angel's command, and they could not refuse it, but it didn't mean they wholeheartedly agreed with it.

"Ruby..." Weiss tried to say something to cheer her up, but she couldn't think of anything. The mood in Beacon was becoming damper by the day, and Weiss assumed this was a part of Ironwood's plan. He already knew about the silver eyes, and while Atlas was not religious by nature, that title going to Mistral, he still knew how it worked and how to manipulate people using it. This small cult developing was precisely the kind of thing he wanted with his attrition-styled tactics, and it was solely Ruby's kind nature that prevented in fighting at this point. Weiss didn't find any enjoyment in admitting it, but Ironwood was a genius tactician and while she thought highly of her own intellect, he was just smarter.

"Let's just go, Weiss. I want some peace." Ruby started to walk again, and the two went towards their dorm, right now the only space of peace they had at the moment. They entered their room, wanting to get some good night sleep, and saw Yang and Blake, having some sort of chat. Yang, with her new golden eyes, seemed to be in a really peaceful mood, at almost all times. On the battlefield, she still managed to find and kill the atlesian forces and the grimm, by targeting the black spaces in her vision, but while being inside Beacon, she looked like she not a single care in the world.

"Okay Yang, can I check it please?" Blake asked her. Using her name was pointless, but she couldn't bring herself to stop using it. Blake looked dirty and untreated, as she didn't even bathe or take care of herself at all in weeks, only caring for Yang's safety. Yang stopped looking and noticing the physical world altogether, and so, it happened more than once she just flat out walked into a wall or almost fell, and Blake put it up to herself to make sure Yang didn't hurt herself, even though the pain didn't even seem to affect her, and she continued to walk around, as if nothing happened.

"Uhh, sure." Yang gave her an innocent smile, and Blake put her car ear next to Yang's bare chest, listening to her heartbeat. After what the doctor had told them, and with Yang's change, she had to make sure the dust wasn't killing her from the inside, and Ruby saw how she breathed in relief, as she heard the heart, beating as it always did, though the crystal surrounding it gave it some echo. Blake felt she was being watched, and turned to greet her friends, Yang looking at the new auras that entered the space she was in.

"Hey." Blake said, and shortly returned to her checkup on Yang, the letter looking in childlike wonder at the two. The silver aura seemed just as overtaxed and overworked as it regularly did, and the transparent aura flickered with mystery, intriguing Yang. _If I didn't know any better, I could swear this was a grimm with a soul._ She thought to herself. This was the only she saw that was this colorless. _Of course, this is silly. This is a..._ She tried to figure whose soul was this, but for the life of her, she just couldn't make the distinction. Auras were auras in her eyes, and her heart told her this was how it was always meant to be.

 _What IS this soul of?_ The question echoed through her mind, as Yang tried to recall. The sheer fact she was able to tell what was grimm or not meant this _had_ to be something else, but the only word that came to her mind, and the only sight her eyes showed her, were auras. The question was becoming quite bothering, but alas, she just couldn't bring up the memory.

"Yang? Are you okay?" The aura closest to her used that word again. Yang. It felt so familiar to her, but she was just an aura, a single drop of water in an endless ocean, and she did not have a self to be called by. Alas the auras around her insisted on using that word when addressing her, and she learned to treat the aura movements that generate from that word as calling her.

"Yeah, I'm all right." She said absent-mindedly. "Oh, by the way..." She turned to the transparent aura. "You really need to open up. Otherwise, you might stay this colorless forever." She had no idea why, but she felt concerned for this one.

Yang's bluntness left Weiss speechless, but she knew she was right. Soon after the war began, Weiss returned to her cold, emotionless self, fearing what might become of her if she opened up. She still tried to listen to her heart here and there, but every time she took a peek, the darkness inside her lashed out, and she had to shut it away again. "I'll think about it." She said as they all got into bed, only Yang sitting still, as she didn't feel any need to sleep, and went outside. She followed the auras like a moth followed a flame, and looked at every single soul that came past her, deep into the night. After an hour or so of wandering around, letting the world communicate with her directly, she came across two auras, sitting one next to the other, looking at what she could only assume was the moon. Out of all the things she could still see in the physical world, which were mostly dust, she still saw the moon, for all of its shining beauty. Tang found herself drawn to its soothing presence, and she approached the two auras, as one of them started to twitch, turning to her.

"Oh, It's you." It spoke in a slightly deep voice. "What are you doing here without Blake? She could be worried about you."

Yang stared at the soul, and a confused look appeared on her face. She had no idea who Blake was, so she dug into her mind to try and find some answers. While the word, again, brought many feelings with it, all she could fathom was it was the aura that stuck so close to her all day long. "Don't worry." She finally replied. "She'll be fine."

"If you say so..." The aura in front of her shone bright white. The aura next to it, although smaller in size, was no less vibrant, and had a permanent orange hue, which didn't seem to change at all, unlike the others around her.

"So, Yang," it turned to her, and its color started to shift into the blues. "Do you really not remember who we are? who YOU are?" It sounded like it couldn't grasp the simple truth of the world.

"What is there TO remember? This is how things always were." She said with a doubtless face.

"But what about your sister? What about Blake? Do you have any idea how much they worry about you?"

"And I keep telling them, this is how I always was. How I always will be." She looked at him with a calm smile. "A simple soul."

"I bet you don't even know who I am, do you?"

"What does it matter? In the end, we are all the same." It made perfect sense to her.

"Well, My name is Jaune Arc! And I am myself!" it rose up and started to shift red. Yang had no idea why it was angry at the honest truth. "And I don't fight this war just to be told that nothing matters! Pyrrha didn't die for nothing!" She saw pain starting to creep into the aura as well, and decided that if she was the cause of its suffering, she should just stop.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you..." She tried to apologize, but by now, Jaune had already started to head back.

"Well, maybe you should try to remember harder!" He called to her as he left the scene, although Yang could still see where it was headed, as she could see through the many obstacles the physical world put in front of her.

Yang felt something rise within her. An old image, a memory, or at least a shadow of one, from her past. Yang had no idea what it was, but the moment she felt it coming, she felt as if she was about to change again.

And the thought terrified her.

She was mostly calm and collected, but every once in a while, a fragment of something else would pop in her head, and she immediately tried to shut it out, to kill it, before anything could become any different. The current world was perfect in her eyes. There was no need to change it, and Yang started to breathe heavily as the thought died down, the stress becoming less and less potent. For the first time in a while, she felt something that wasn't her aura moving. It was her body, and it demanded rest, forcing Yang to go back to the space where friends were sleeping, and curl into the bed with the aura that called itself Blake, and she closed her eyes, letting her corporeal body have its rest.

* * *

Another day, another wave of atlesian knights and grimm dead. The waves were becoming increasingly difficult, and this time, there were even a bunch of auto-piloted atlesian paladins involved. The grimm too were becoming more and more ferocious, and amongst the new and horrific types that came to attack them, older, and stronger ones came too. Ruby stood next to her worn out team, the carcasses of five goliaths fading in the close vicinity.

"Well, that's it for today." She decided, and the students listened to her and started to head back. As they all walked in Beacon's general direction, Yang suddenly stopped, and turned around, preparing both her gauntlets for battle.

"What is it?" The war already hardened Ruby at this point, and dust corrupted or not, she knew Yang's instincts were second to none.

Yang didn't say anything, and just waited in silence, and a few moments passed, only to be followed by a loud, shrieking noise. Before them, a pool of darkness appeared, and from it, rose a tall, masculine character, clad in dark, gray armor. In its hand, lied a giant sword, at least twice as big at him, and he lifted it flawlessly, and landed it on his shoulder. Yang looked, and it was evident to her what this thing was.

"Look out; this thing is a grimm." She said confidently. The black void around it reminded her of another being that she fought in her recent past, that felt very similar. Thinking about it gave way to another burst of change, and Yang quickly shook it off, focusing on the darkness in front of her.

"Everyone, stay back!" Ruby called to the others, and her eyes reignited in white brilliance. The other students quietly went away but did not leave. The being, sensing their presence, simply raised its sword, and vanished, appearing near the many students. It swung its sword at the crowd, and three of them were caught in its radius and were sliced in half, dead.

"NOOO!" Ruby shouted as her silver eyes went haywire again, and she snapped right before it, attacking the darkened being mercilessly. The other students, somehow still hoping for her victory, still couldn't bring themselves fully to leave her behind,

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?! GO!" She called furiously at them, and soon, each student began to run away towards Beacon, and team RWBY was left behind to deal with the grimm threat. When all of them were too far for it to get, it jumped away, and repositioned its sword, starting through its helmet at the group with a bone mask, hiding behind it.

"Who are you?!" Blake shouted at it, weapons at the ready.

"..." It said nothing. Even without the ability to sense auras, Blake could feel the darkness and malice oozing from it, as it raised its sword again, and this time, went straight for Ruby, who was ready to take it, head on. It came with an overhead strike, and Ruby, not even trying to dodge, swung Crescent Rose at the same time, as the two were about to kill each other at the same time, forcing Weiss to intervene, and use a glyph to block the sword mid-air. It hit the glyph's surface, and the semblance only managed to hold it back for less than a few milliseconds, before it shattered, and the Blade fell, aiming straight for Ruby's head. Ruby, on the other hand, was already out of its range, and circled the dark knight, trying to look for an opening. The blade landed on the ground, and before Ruby could react, Yang was already sending fireballs and shockwaves at the knight grimm, Blaze Celica and Ember Celica burning. The grimm quickly moved out of her range, and instead, directed its blade directly at Weiss, who had no choice but to defend herself, as the two knights parried each other's blows. Weiss tried to surprise it, and spun Myrtenaster, loading her armor and blade with a light red color, and she stuck her sword in the ground, sending a pillar or bright flames at it. The grimm knight, while not acting surprised, was caught in the attack, and had to take it directly. The team looked, hoping it was gone, only to see the dark armor and the bone mask appearing from within the flames almost unscathed.

"I come to slay you." The grimm opened what they assumed was his mouth, and he spoke.

"Why? Are you related to Cinder?" She quickly deducted.

"I come bearing Salem's direct will." It spoke again, as if it already knew they had the information of her existence in their heads. "Now die." It quieted down again, and waved its free hand, forming several black pools of ichor in front of it. From those, several lesser grimm arose and charged at the girls.

"Spread out! Focus of the grimm knight!" Ruby called, and Weiss and Blake listened, Yang mostly doing her thing, and gunning for anything black in her vision. They were all low on aura by that point, and if they wanted to prevail, they had to mainly target the being that spawned the grimm, rather than the smaller beowulves and ursai. Yang, on the other hand, just lashed at all of them, as the dust appeared to amplify her strength significantly, and she tore the ranks of the grimm apart, the black ashes starting to cover the entire ground beneath her.

"Let's end this!" Ruby called, and she and Weiss got close to each other, Weiss summoning a glyph around Ruby. Ruby closed her eyes for a small second, and while Blake held the grimm knight away with her many semblance clones, Ruby quickly gathered as much aura as she could in her eyes, and she opened them abruptly as wide as she could, the light emanating from them overflowing. The glyph around her glowed just as brightly with her power, as she and Weiss prepared to launch her directly at the grimm knight, using Ruby's aura to fuel the glyph with even more power. After a few seconds, it turned pitch black, and an entire ring of glyphs appeared around the battlefield, trapping the grimm in the middle.

"NOW!" Ruby shouted, and Weiss unleashed her from the glyph, her semblance combined with the acceleration from Weiss making ruby seem like an entire ring of red petals, spinning around her opponent. Blake jumped out of the way, Weiss giving her a platform in the air to make sure she makes it, and the dark knight stopped moving, preparing its blade for every possible direction from which the silver-eyed one could come from. Ruby shifted Crescent Rose to its rifle form, and by charging the dust with her aura, she started to shoot the bullets directly at the knight, as each of them pierced the air with blinding speed, giving the grimm knight little to no chance to react. It tried to dodge, but the dust bullets were just too fast, and they managed to him in rapid succession.

"AAHHHHH!" The moment Ruby ran out of bullets, she stopped in place, as Weiss overcharged the glyph she stood on, and redirected it at the grimm knight's direction. With a flick of her finger, the glyph launched Ruby, and she went right through the grimm knight, Crescent Rose slicing it right through its stomach area, Ruby isn't able to stop the momentum, and trailed off uncontrollably.

The grimm knight staggered. Somehow, the armor managed to block the silver-eyes warrior's deadly maneuver, but only barely. Black ooze began to drop from it's abdomen. It leaned on its sword, and called forth to the lesser grimm Yang was busy killing, as some of them ran up to it, and it stabbed them, taking the ashes that came out and stuffing itself with it. Slowly, the wound closed, and new, gray armor manifested of top of it, and the knight straightened back up, and readied itself for another round. Blake dashed against it, as she and tens of clones, wielding Wilt & Blush, tried to strike it down, all the while the real Blake was hiding amongst her shadows, trying to make sure it won't be able to recognize her. The grimm only sneered, and brought its blade forward, stabbing the real Blake, and sending her away, as her clones turned to thin air.

"Ugh!" Blake bellowed in pain. Not a second passed, and Yang was already kneeling above her, applying her healing ability to her friends. Blake looked at her, and she saw how Yang's face twisted in worry. Yang couldn't explain it. She still only saw auras, but something compelled her to rush to this one's aid, far above killing the grimm. Nevertheless, Yang gave it her all, and Shortly after, Blake's wound closed up, though she was still in no condition to fight.

"Stay put." Yang said calmly and stepped up. So far, she was busy with the minor threats, but now it was time to put the knight down. It summoned more grimm to fight her, but Yang had none of it; and she pressed her Dust Celica against the earth, letting the dust reach out to her. Ever since she became entranced with dust, she heard it call to her, from all over the world. From the earth, the air around her. her team's weapons. While others mined dust and extracted manually from the earth's cradle, Yang knew better, and soon, a brown strand of dust appeared on the Dust and Blaze Celicas. She slammed her fists against each other, and send a pulse of aura at the grimm, attempting to intimidate him.

"Pathetic that you would try such petty parlor tricks, ancient one." He spoke to her, breaking the long silence between his sword's movements, and dashed at Yang. She stood her ground, and took him head on, the brown dust empowering her physical strength, allowing her to hold him in place for quite a while.

"You!" She called out to the others, Ruby finally getting back from her previous assault. "I got it! Finish it off!"

Ruby first hesitated to strike the knight. Yang was standing so close to it, that if she actually attacked, she could accidentally hurt her sister, and it didn't matter to her that currently she didn't pay any attention to her body. Ruby just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"I'll be fine! Just come on!" Yang continued to call, but none of her teammates responded. They knew better than to attack it at the moment. Eventually, the brown dust in her arms began to drain out, and her grip weakened. The grimm noticed this, and pried Yang's arms open, freeing itself, and stumbling back. Behind it, a black pool appeared again, and the grimm knight stepped into it, melting into the dark void whence it came.

* * *

The sun was going dim above Beacon Academy. Glynda and her small council sat in her office, which by now they turned into a makeshift war room, as they discussed strategy with Winter.

"So, how many?" Glynda asked. They all looked at each other with sadness in their eyes, and Qrow was the first to give her the bad news.

"So far, one hundred and seven casualties." That's all he had to say, and Glynda could barely keep a straight face, as it turned to horror.

"One hundred and seven. One hundred and seven of my students that lost their lives to this horrible war." She sobbed quietly.

"We can't let this weaken us. This is precisely what Ironwood expects will happen." Winter exclaimed, face as cold as ever.

"What do you know?!" Glynda lashed out at her. She cared almost each of them individually. Helping them in need, teaching them how to by huntsmen, giving them hope in the world. "Then what the hell are their lives even worth, then?! Isn't it Atlas' army's objective to try and send as few men onto the battlefield as possible?!"

"I understand how you feel," Qrow told her. He and Winter were the only ones really capable handling a war between the four, Glynda having her own soft side, and Oobleck too concerned to send anyone even remotely unprepared to the front. If it were up for those two alone, nothing would happen on its own. "But we have no time for sentiments. We have a war to survive."

"And you just EXPECT me to let them DIE like it was nothing special?!" Glynda continued.

"Yes." Qrow uttered, and the rest of them fell silent.

"What have we become?" Oobleck couldn't help but wonder. So far, they managed to get by, but with each wave of atlesian armada and intervening grimm, it looked like the entire thing became more and more pointless.

Qrow looked at them, and his face turned grim.

"We became what we had to."


	44. The Evolution of War

Jaune stood on a small hill, observing the southern border, where he, Nora, Ren and Neo were issued to fight in the war. He just stood there, watching as the carrier lowered itself, letting a great number of atlesian knights rampant against them. This time, it would have appeared, they decided to send a rather larger number of paladins with them, and he figured this was going to be a long day, even with his semblance. When the war began, Jaune became a glorified EMP, his semblance, Equalizer, allowing him to effectively disable Atlas' forces, by shutting down their dust cores, leaving around him nothing more that powerless bodies of metal. Of course, the grimm that came were still affected by his ability to nullify any form of unnatural phenomena, and their fight at the front boiled down to killing all the grimm before any of them could get the chance to call more, but still, he felt the mental stress kicking in, sooner and sooner with each passing day. It took a great toll on him to activate his semblance for such extended periods of time, and lately, he started feeling limp after each battle. Yet, in his heart, he knew he couldn't give up. Just like Ruby, he held his stance, and assumed the role everyone was expecting him, of the great equalizer, the one that can bring a sense of fairness to this strife.

"Hi there, Pyrrha." He held her circlet close to his mouth, and began to whisper to it. It had become a ritual of sorts to him, and so far, it was the sole thing that kept him sane through all the madness. Yang was explicit when she told this to him, before she snapped: Pyrrha's aura was in her circlet, that much was certain, but any more then that she couldn't tell. But for Jaune, the sheer fact _some_ part of his teammate kept watch over him gave him great comfort and hope.

"Well, it's time again. Please watch over us from above..." He spoke to her, as he heard the bombastic calls of Nora echo through the battlefield.

"JAUNE! YOU COMING OR WHAT?!" Her screams, though still befitting her nature, were much more aggressive than he remembered her bring during their days in Beacon. She became much more impatient and angry, wanting to finish with the fight as soon as humanly possible. Next to her, Ren stood, even more silent than ever. He retreated into himself more and more often, and lately, there were even days he wouldn't utter a single word. Neo, on the other hand, seemed completely unphased by everything that went down around her. She, unlike the others, didn't change, almost at all, and acted as the Neo she always was, even in the face of death.

"Yeah! I'm coming!" He called back to the angry Nora and ran down from the small hill he was on, ready to join his friends in battle.

The group, along with the students that stood by their side, ran towards the small army of militant droids, while the grimm came from all directions, leaving no route of escape this time. Jaune noticed this: The grimm were becoming stronger, as though an outside force guided their movements and spawn locations.

"WELL?!" Nora shouted again, clutching Magnhild tightly. He gave her a quick glance, closed his eyes, and focused on his aura, letting it build up. He connected back to his deepest desire for the world, and at last, he was finished, and he echoed his mantra all over his mind, letting his semblance activate:

_Let everyone be equal._

A field of aura grew around him, expanding to an impressive field of about 15 meters in radius of pure oppression. This was far as he could get it to expand, without harming himself, and with that, he raised Crocea Mors, and the students around him turned to his direction, as he gave a loud battle cry.

"Don't worry! We can do this! Now onward, to battle!" He charged forward, and his team and the rest of Glynda's forces joined soon after, the three warring factions of this war drawing closer and closer. The droids, as expected, were almost immediately neutralized by his semblance, and the moment he passed near them, only needing them in Equalizer's range, they each fell down, the dust core in them ceasing to function. Nora and Ren, in charge of dismantling the robots completely, just in case, went ahead and did their job.

"HAAAAHHH!" Nora shouted, and slammed her hammer down on one of the atlesian knight's headgear, smashing it to tiny bits. Even without her semblance or aura, Nora was innately immensely strong on her own, and while Magnhild did weight a bit more in her hands, she could still lift it, and deliver no less deadly blows. Ren, on the contrary, came to each robot separately, Using StormFlower to cut a few of the wires connecting the power source of the CPU, located in their heads, thus disabling them as well. He actually listened to Winter in her lectures about the structure of the atlesian knight 340 model, and as far as he knew, cutting the right wires should be about it. He wanted to save his strength, knowing the worst is yet to some, because the moment they were done with the atlesian military, they were ordered to turn all of their attention to the grimm, and assist the students as much as they could.

A beowulf entered his field while they were busy with the droids, looking to attack them. A common occurrence at this point. They already warned not to step too close to Jaune during the war, otherwise they will lose all of their power, and none of them were ready to fight in such harsh conditions. The grimm came at the group, Nora snapping against it, and swinging her hammer, she hit the grimm by the side, sending it flying outside of Jaune's aura. Staggered and stood up, only to be ambushed by the others, taking it down with haste.

"Come on; we don't have a lot more to go!" Jaune called, having dismantled the last of the knights. Now, they were left with the atlesian paladins, and those took a lot more time to take down. At this point, he was feeling the fatigue that was built up inside him, and his aura's range became much shorter, having little to no energy to keep up the pressure.

He ran towards one of the paladins, and the mech, noticing his presence, sent its claw at the huntsman, trying to cut him in half. Jaune had to be careful with those: As long as the dust core was active, this thing, even within his semblance, was still ten times stronger than he was. One wrong move, and Jaune could be hit directly, and most likely he won't be coming back that easily from that one, his semblance also disabling his own aura's capabilities, rendering him without the ability to heal himself in time. Truly, his power was one of true balance: He took everyone's powers away, leaving them with only the physical skills they possessed. He jumped on the paladin's hand, and ran across it, heading to the war machine's head, where its core lied. As he got closer, he could notice the paladin's movements becoming slower and sluggish, signaling his nullifying field was doing its job, for as weaker as it had become. When he finally reached the head area, he focused his semblance onto the machine, and a few seconds of struggling later, it fell to the ground, motionless. In a strange and bizarre way, when his power was activated, he was one of the physically strongest huntsmen in Beacon, barring Nora, of course. He focused solely on this aspect, and his swordplay skills were almost second to none. He wasn't perfect by any means, but he had what it took, and as far as Jaune was concerned, he was now on the same level as his fellow huntsmen, perhaps even stronger.

"Nora!" He shouted to her. They had to split up at this point, Jaune's range becoming too short. "How are we doing?!"

"OH, JUST FAN-FUCKING-TASTIC!" She yelled with sarcasm as she smashed another paladin to the ground. She was finally free of Jaune's icky semblance, and now she could show her true strength, as she jumped high into the air, charging up her body with static electricity built up from all the movements she doing, and she fell back down, as an almost literal lightning bolt, and hit another paladin head on, blowing the thing up to tiny, fragmented bits. They scattered all around her, flying in great velocity, piercing both the grimm that surrounded the area, while unfortunately hurting some of the students. By now, they knew to stay the fuck away from the red-haired brute, especially when she was angry, but still, some didn't listen, and now they were loaded onto stretchers, to be taken back to Beacon to heal. At the very least, she managed not to accidentally kill someone on her side, although the grimm happily took that position, and every day, more and more people joined the dead.

"Well, keep it up!" Jaune called back, and she gave a loud groan. Nora was clearly not in the mood for pep-talk, Although; Jaune did this more to encourage himself, rather than her. He went on, going from paladin to paladin, until finally, he managed to take most of them out, while Nora, Ren and Neo did the rest.

They met up at the battlefield's nexus, and looked around, making sure no robot were left up, before turning their attention to the grimm, Jaune finally able to stop Equalizer. It was very tiring for him, but now, when all they were fighting were regular grimm, who could still move, semblance or no, he had no further use for it.

"Keep your guard up." Neo noted and readied her umbrella knife, as a large host of nevermores and other airborne grimm came from above, gunning for their lives. Without even blinking, she prepared herself, and just as one of them came to kill her, she focused her aura on the tip of her sword, learning the trick from Ren, and jammed it into the nevermores mouth. It froze in place, before suddenly inflating, and it exploded, sending shards of bone all around her, taking out some of the other grimm as well. Neo went on, and continued her massacre, moving as nimbly as she always had, while the rest of JNR tried to keep their pace with her. Nora, who was becoming more and more pissed with Neo's smug expression, as if she didn't even care, lashed out at the grimm, and loud thunderclaps could be heard from all around her, as black ashes fell from the sky like snow. An ursa jumped from behind her, and Nora couldn't react in time, Neo forced to save her ally, and she intervened, using her semblance, creating an illusion while bringing Nora to relative safe distance, while Jaune came at the grimm bear, and with a few precise slashes and cuts, killed the beast.

Nora looked up at Neo, and her usual nonchalant face, and she snapped, grabbing the heterochromatic girl by her tie.

"HOW?!" she yelled at Neo's face, tears forming on hers. "How can you be so calm?! Can't you see people are fucking dying here?!"

Neo's face turned dark. She had no idea why would Nora, who was her ally in all of this, would lash out at HER. After all, she was just done SAVING her life from a grimm back there, and yet, all she could see in Nora's eyes were anger and contempt.

"Because this is the world. I don't try to change it; I just do what I have to do."

She didn't say much, but it was enough for Nora, who was already on the edge of a nerve breakdown. All she had to do was just tighten her grip, and she could easily choke Neo, right there and then, but before she could do anything, she felt Ren's hand touching her, and she saw him, waving his head. She dropped Neo, and straightened her outfit from Nora's iron grasp, and trailed off, to finally finish that day's fight.

"Are you okay?" Ren opened his mouth in what felt like months to him, even though it had only been three weeks.

"Oh, so NOW you want to talk?!" Nora burst out. "Where the hell were you earlier then?!"

"I'm sorry. I'm just worried." He spoke quietly. "I have a bad feeling about today." As he talked to her, a creep slithered towards them.

"Oh. YOU THINK?!" She shouted and raised her hammer, smashing the grimm beneath its massive weight. "Well, H-O-L-Y SHIT! REN SUSPECTS SOMETHING!" Her cynicism was so out of place; he could barely recognize his dear friend. Contrast to popular rumors that spread out in Beacon, he did regard Nora quite fondly, and seeing her like this made him quite sad.

"Guys, if you'd want to stop with the emotional talk and help us out, that'll be great!" They heard Jaune call from behind them, and the two snapped out from their little meltdown, and focused on the task at hand. _Well, at least her state is not as bad as team RWBY..._ Ren thought to himself. He wouldn't wish this on anyone, but the facts stood tall. Ruby was just surrounded at all times by followers and believers who pressured her into being something she isn't, Yang stopped seeing anyone around her, only recognizing auras, Weiss was now struggling with the very goal in life, and Blake became completely selfless, throwing herself at the enemy, even though she could and should use their her friend's help. Nora's temper tantrums were small potatoes compared to THAT.

At last, the last grimm fell, killed by Jaune's hand. He looked around, seeing the mayhem left behind him and his team, and saw as the others students were picking up the bodies of the fallen, to give them a proper burial. The injured, too, were taken away to Beacon's infirmary, and team JNNR were usually the last ones to leave the battlefield, scouting the area one last time, just in case anything was still there.

"Well, at least it's over for now..." Jaune sighed, and his team looked at all directions, looking for any stray grimm, of perhaps a military droid that managed to survive. After about fifteen minutes of coming up with nothing but blanks, he concluded that was all, and they started to head back to Beacon as well, when suddenly, they could hear an aircraft speeding towards them, as looked at its direction.

"What's that?" Nora asked, having calmed down a little. The battle was over for now, and her regular personality started to rear its head from behind all the stress and panic of the war.

"I don't know, but we should keep our guard up." Jaune prepared his sword, as the hovercraft got closer to them. They could see it wasn't as big as the regular carriers, only containing about two people at the moment, and it stopped above them, while one of its doors opened, and a being, looking quite human, jumped down, hovering down. It landed before them, and from they could tell, she was human. The girl, wearing a brown beret, white shirt, and a simple, blue dress, stood before them, seemingly without a weapon, as she raised her hand, speaking to her wristwatch.

"Atlas specialist, Ciel Soleil, reporting for first round of human testing."

"A specialist?..." Jaune pondered out loud. They expected them to come, sooner or later, but in any case, this was a good sign. If Winter's knowledge was correct, sending in a specialist was a late-game move for Ironwood to do, which meant they were getting to the end of his forces, and he would soon run out of robot to send at them.

"Let's go!" Jaune called, and the four circled Ciel, looking for an opening in her stance. She looked too calm for the situation, and Jaune had a sneaking suspicion something was amiss with her. She started at them, eyes hollow and empty, until Nora decided she had enough, and broke the circle, jumping right at her. Ciel turned directly at her, and held her hands up high, grabbing Magnhild directly and throwing Nora off of her. The huntress got back up, anger rising even further, and dashed again at the specialist, determined to break her apart. Ciel dodged her assaults, one by one, until finally, she noticed a small gap in Nora's stance, and took the opportunity to strike her back.

She snapped her fingers, and the wristwatch snapped open, starting to transform, metal wires stretching all over her body. In the span of a few seconds, she had a thin exoskeleton all over her, and Ciel felt her aura being channeled through the thin metal, and she grabbed Nora again, this time, managing to hold her mid-air. Nora tried to wrestle Magnhild from her, not wanting to leave her weapon behind, and Ciel tossed her aside with much greater force, almost knocking Nora out.

"Nora!" Ren ran to her aid, but Ciel was faster, and appeared right before him. He tried to shoot her, but the bullets, even though hitting her directly, seemingly had no effect. She tried to kick Ren, and he jumped back, and dashed around her towards Nora, while Neo took her turn, and appeared out of nowhere using her semblance, attempting to stab Ciel. The two went on, dodging and attacking each other, while Ren came to Nora, and held her close.

"Nora..." He cooed to her. She looked at him, and for a moment, she appeared to say something, only to be cut by the two's fighting. Ren took Nora and ran further from the empowered specialist, while Neo found it harder and harder to dodge Ciel. For some reason, Ciel suddenly managed to see through her illusions, and soon, Neo found herself on the defensive, having to deal with Ciel almost on her own.

Ciel managed to pressure Neo even further, and soon, the fight was going clearly in her favor. She swiped her feet, knocking Neo down to the floor, but before she could deliver the finishing blow, Jaune jumped from behind her, swinging his sword. He might have not had enough aura for his semblance, but Jaune acted nonetheless, blocking Ciel's punches and kicks with his sword and shield, all the while keeping an eye out for his teammates. Nora still needed a bit more time to recover, and Red and watching her close, while Neo still lied on the floor, having a hard time to get up. Ciel focused her aura into her hand, as the thin lines of metal gathered t into them, conjuring fire in her palm. She let it out, and a fireball launched at Jaune, who was completely unprepared for it, and it hit him head on, slightly burning his clothes. He staggered back up.

"What are you even?!" He yelled. He had no idea who this woman was, but she started reminding him more and more of Yang by the moment, and there was only one way to deal with Yang that he knew about.

"Nora, Ren, Neo! Cover for me! We need Equalizer for this!" Jaune called, and tried to buy some time for the group to recover. After Nora managed to heal a little, and Neo got up, the three jumped in between the two, and Jaune was given a small window of time, to recharge his aura. He took Pyrrha's circlet in his hands, and closed his eyes, beginning to pray. It was no player to god, or to Ruby, or to any divine beings, for that matter. Jaune quietly prayed in the name of everyone he loves that he would have the strength to fight through, and the more he felt hope rise within in, the more Jaune felt his aura rebuild quickly.

"OK! GO!" Jaune called to the rest, and he charged at Ciel, activating his semblance. She was trapped within it, and now, she had to deal with the full might of the great equalizer with nothing but her own merit.

"Alright." He turned to her. "No tricks, no science, no semblance. Now, we fight MY way." He readied his sword, and ran forward, aiming his attacks and Ciel. She still managed to dodge him, but she could feel it: Even the top secret technology that was applied to her was canceled out by him, and Ciel felt a strand of panic rising within her. He had to succeed. This was her one chance to make up for her failure to protect Penny at the day, even though this was her duty.

Suddenly, Ciel stopped moving, and she started to convulse and twitch in a very disturbing manner. Jaune stopped his assault, and looked in half wonder, half disgust, as Ciel's stance began to change, becoming more feral and corrupt. She lounged at Jaune, who had to block her with his shield, and he could feel the great force she managed to summon out of nowhere. While his semblance allowed him to oppress auras outside the body, they still existed, only being locked away within, and for some reason, Ciel seemed to be able to overcome this, at least a little, and her strength grew. He looked closer, and noticed how her very skin started to sharpened, tiny fragments of _something_ growing on them. She jumped again, and tried to jump-kick Jaune from above, charging herself with electricity this time. Nora, noticing this, moved as quickly as she could, and took Ciel's attack head on, the electrical charge flowing through her. She felt much better, and Jaune disabled his semblance, allowing her to unleash her full might, and she swung Magnhild directly at Ciel while the letter threw a massive punch at her as well. The two forces met each other, sending a shockwave all around them, blowing Jaune away.

"I don't care who you are..." Nora started to talk. "BUT YOU TRIED TO HURT MY FRIENDS! NOW DIE, YOU BITCH!" Her anger consumed her again, and Magnhild pulsed with even more power, finally able to overcome Ciel and her enhancements, sending her flying. Ciel spun while flying, and balanced herself, landing on her feet, and retaking her stance. The metal lining around her glowed bright, and Ciel gave a sudden, twisted laugh.

"This is unbelievable! So much power! It feels so incredible!" She called to no one in particular, and all of a sudden, she froze in place, her skin becoming more and more crystalline. "AAAHHHHH!" She gave one final shout, until her body gave way, and the crystals burst through, covering her entire body. Soon after, Ciel was completely crystallized, and she stood there, motionless, her whole body, clothing and all, turned to multicolored dust.

"Oh what the FUCK?!" Nora crouched and grabbed her head in her hands. This was just fucked up, even for her, and seeing that just happen was something was NOT ready for.

"I don't know." Ren came to her, and pet her shoulder. "But don't worry. Whatever just became of Ciel Soleil, she's in a better place now..."

"Ren's right." Jaune declared. "We have no time for this anymore. We have to keep moving forward." She turned to Nora. "Take her with us. We might learn something out of this." The war did well in hardening Jaune, and this was one of his more serious, leader moments. Nora looked at him, and after a short minute, nodded in agreement, and grabbed the now statue of Ciel, as the group finally headed back to Beacon, to rest.

* * *

Meanwhile, in Ironwood's tower...

A group of scientists, lead by Dr. Polendina, sat in a small lab, observing the effect their newest invention had on the now-dead specialist. After observing combat footage from Yang and her dust infused arm, Ironwood came to the decision that this was the way to advance in warfare, and he put his entire science division up to the task, even attaching the world renowned aura expert, Dr. Glint Polendina to them, in order to help with the aura aspect of this operation. As they sat and discussed various theories as to why Ciel ended up as a chunk of Dust, the lab doors opened, and Ironwood stepped in, wanting to hear a report.

"I have seen the data." He started. "Can any of you explain?"

"W-Well, sir..." One of them spoke up. "S-So far, we have only d-determined this was something to do with the dust in the exoskeleton, and not in her aura. We are still trying to figure out a solution for this."

"I see." And turned to the doctor. "And you, Glint? Do you have any theory of your own?"

"..." Dr. Polendina didn't say anything. He had no idea why he was doing what he was doing, but James somehow managed to convince him into helping developing weapons against the war, and for as much as he tried, he couldn't bring himself into saying no. That didn't mean, however, that he was going to be completely cooperative.

"Well, then I think it's time to send the next wave." Ironwood decreed. "I want you to prepare me an entire set of these new dust infusers. We will send more soldiers this time."

"But sir!..." One of them came to object, but Ironwood's glare alone was enough to silence the scientist.

"As for you, Dr. Polendina," He turned to the doctor. "I want you to accompany this wave personally, and collect as much information as you can."

"What? No!" He called back. "I only agreed to help you! I will NOT go to the front lines only to get some-"

"I SAID," Ironwood's voice became louder, though without shouting. "That you will GO to the FRONT LINES, and COLLECT as much DATA as you CAN." He waited for a few moments for the doctor to get all of that. "Did I make myself perfectly clear?"

"...Yes." Dr. Polendina nodded in shame. Yet again, the general managed to convince him into doing some insane move for him. The same thing happened when he first built Penny: The general approached him, and somehow, managed to make him agree with making Penny into a weapon. All he wanted was just a little girl to call his daughter, and now, she was in the heart of New Vale, trying to hide from one of the people responsible for her creation. "I will go."

"Excellent." Ironwood's voice turned down again. "I will prepare a seat for you on the next carrier sent to Vale's northern border. I believe there you will find the most prominent results."

"Okay." Glint glanced to the side. He had no choice in the matter, and in his mind, it was either this, or the general might hurt him severely. Ironwood could be a very frightening man when he wanted.

"In any event, I will supply you with the proper amount of materials." Ironwood concluded their small meeting. "Make as many improvements as you can. You have twenty-four hours." He left the room, and met with his lieutenant, walking through his tower, preparing for the next step in the evolution of war.


	45. The Final Threshold

Team RWBY were sitting around the grand hall of Beacon. Jaune and his team were taking much too long to get back from that day's wave, and even Yang was starting to become worried as to the auras that were left behind. Around them, where used to be the many students of Beacon, now stood only tiny groups of people here and there. Spirits were low, but not crushed, and for now, the only thing that kept the people going was the fact that they managed to survive all what waves thus far.

"You think they're okay?" Ruby asked no one in particular.

"Don't worry. Jaune grew quite a while since he was a student in Beacon." Blake responded. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I hope so..." Ruby didn't have much left to say. She was just concerned for her friend's safety, but she wasn't allowed to show any of it. If she even started to sob, even for a tiny bit, a group of faithful might show up out of nowhere and try to cheer her up with a ton of attention, which Ruby couldn't stand anymore.

Suddenly, Yang jumped to her legs and ran towards the main courtyard. The rest of the team quickly followed suit, figuring she might have seen the auras of the four finally return. What they found, however, was something none of them remotely expected.

Nora was carrying a human statue, made entirely of dust.

At first, none of them had any clue as to where the hell would she even get that kind of statue, though, the moment Ruby looked at Yang, she could see that her sister was becoming more and more worried by the minute. Something she saw in that statue felt wrong to her, and Ruby had a feeling she was going to soon find out what it was.

"Hey guys! We're back!" Jaune called to them, as him and his team got closer into view. The moment they did, Yang rushed towards them, and snagged the human statue from Nora's hands, and placed it on the grounds. On closer inspection, Ruby could finally put her finger on why the figure felt weird to her.

"Wait, Ciel?..." Ruby asked. This statue used to be Ciel Soleil, a person she met around Penny during their days in Beacon. She didn't get to know her much, but from what she remembered, Ciel was charged with keeping an eye on Penny, and thus, seeing her like this made Ruby quite suspicious.

"Well, any of you want to explain this?" Yang turned to them in anger. "What happened to this aura? Why isn't it moving at all?!" She pointed towards Weiss. "Even this one tends to move! So tell me, what did you do to it?!" It was clear Yang was going to rampage out of control if no one tried to stop her. Blake came and held her close, while Jaune opened his mouth.

"After we finished the wave, she came out of nowhere, and tried to attack us, using some form of exoskeleton. As the fight progressed, she became more and more feral, and in the end, I guess she just couldn't take it anymore..."

"No..." Yang whimpered. Seeing such a precious spark of life frozen like that was too much for her to bear, and she stepped back away from it, trying to gather her thoughts. "This shouldn't happen... Why is this happening?..." Her mind, in some sort of paradoxical state, both refused and accepted the being that stood before her. One part of her told her this was what was always meant to be, and thus it, too, is alright. Yet, the small spark in her heart shouted back every time, trying to change her. She fought it back, again and again, and yet, the more she did, the more she felt as though she really was missing something.

"Well, the best we can do for now is to take her to the infirmary and at least try and see if there is anything alive left in her." Jaune concluded, and the group picked up Ciel's statue, and started carrying it towards the healing ward. On the way, however, they met a character they truly hoped to avoid with the dust crystal in their hands.

Penny.

She looked at them, apparently hovering above around the ceiling area, and the moment she saw the dust they carried looked remotely like her former teammate, she bolted down, wanting to take a closer look.

"Ciel?..." She asked the two teams. "Guys, what happened to her?..."

"We honestly don't know," Ruby answered decisively. If there was anything she learned from having to deal with blind believers in her, is that she shouldn't sugar-coat the truth around them. When she did, they would start to speculate on the meaning of her words, and end up perforating acts that went directly against her meaning. "But we are going to find out."

"Well, I'm coming too!" Penny exclaimed. Even if Ciel was mostly there to keep an eye on Penny at the day, she still felt something akin to caring towards her. It wasn't much, but it was enough to cause Penny to want to see this ordeal through. They went on, and after a few short minutes, arrived at the infirmary, and stepped inside, placing the statue on the floor next to one of the doctors.

"W-Wha- What is this?" He couldn't help but ask.

"This," Ruby turned to him "Used to be a living human. We want to know what happened to her."

The doctor didn't waste much time, and brought them to his small room, where he took about a bunch of medical equipments and dust measurers, and began to inspect Ciel. All the while, Yang couldn't leave her be, and stuck close to him, trying to find any small movements within the crystal.

"Hmm..." The doctor finally went to the party of huntsmen. "I don't think there is anything left in her. Can you tell me what exactly happened when you saw her?"

Jaune and Ren gave him a quick summary of the fight with Ciel, focusing on the fact that her strength continued to amplify, and after a while, shards of crystal appeared on her, followed by complete crystallization into dust. The doctor's expression only became darker and more grim with each description of her battle stance and end.

"This is horrifying..." The doctor told them. "We had this speculation when Yang first came here after her change. It appeared that the dust simply continued to spread through her, somehow fusing with her flesh, and turning it into dust as well. I speculated that eventually, she could end up like this, but seeing it happen in real life?" He shook himself. "I shudder at the thought."

"Is yang going to?..." Blake couldn't help herself. If this is what happened to Ciel, Yang was in a much more dangerous state.

"Perhaps, but we can't know for sure. Remember Yang's arm had a fixed amount of dust that was directly inside of her, the rest being on the outside. In her case," he pointed to Ciel. "the dust was constantly infused into her body, on much larger quantities. Yang had the time to adjust to this, and the process of crystallizations slowed down significantly, but as for her..." He became momentarily silent.

"I'm afraid that her fate was sealed the moment the dust began to flow."

The entire group fell silent. By now, they have seen death, even of their allies, but seeing a person crystallize like this... It was beyond understanding.

"Ciel..." Penny's voice became low. If she could have shed tears, they would've flown by now.

"Don't worry Penny." Ruby put her hand on Penny's shoulder, trying to cheer her up. "We'll end this war, and when we do, we'll help you get justice." None of them thought what had happened to Ciel was right, even if she was on the enemy's side. Yang looked at the auras around her, noticing they all went gray or dark blue, and she could feel herself harbor great empathy as well for the fallen soul.

"Well, let's prepare for the next wave. We don't have much time." Weiss concluded, and they went their separate ways, leaving Ciel's body with the medical team to investigate. By now they were quite familiar with Ironwood's schedule, and lately, the waves were becoming more and more condensed, leaving them with little time to prepare for the continuation of the war. As the sun set, each of them made final fixes to their weapons, stocked up on dust crystals and forged them as the need came, and at last, got a good night's sleep. However, for some reason, Ruby couldn't fall dormant. Something in her mind just kept on bothering her, telling her things are going to go to shit, and she got up, deciding to take a small stroll, pushing a pillow in her place, so that Weiss wouldn't notice her absence. She ventured through Beacon's halls, finally reaching the library, where she saw Ren of all people, sitting against one of the tables, apparently reading something. She got to know Ren during their trip to Mistral, and so, she approached him, knowing that even though he liked his silence, Ren could also use a good chat here and there.

"Hey." She sat beside him, and Ren turned to her for a brief second, before going back to his book.

"What'cha reading?" She tried again to get his attention, and noticed the book in his hand was a study book, about math.

"Why are you reading a math book in the middle of the night?..." Ruby was quite confused, and Ren finally turned to her, and opened his mouth.

"Because this is what helps keep me sane." He explained. "This war out there reaches all of us, in some way, Ruby. I just find my own ways to keep my brain from having a meltdown."

"Oh." She lowered her eyes. At the moment, Ruby wasn't the best example of a cheerful person. The constant attention to and from her little cult was a very tiring thing, and without Weiss to snap her out of it, Ruby had no idea what she might have done.

Ren, looking at her, put his book down, and looked at her directly. "You wanna talk?"

"I just don't know anymore, Ren..." Ruby started. "Lately, I've been feeling so bad about this whole thing... Like, what are we even fighting for? Is it even worth all those deaths? And now we have Ciel!" She raised her voice a little. "How the hell am I even supposed to react to that?!"

"You don't." Ren replied, and Ruby's face twisted a little in confusion.

"What?"

"Well, not entirely." He explained. "I think that on some level, you still sort of expect the same treatment from everyone else, even though you have your very unique power." His guess was spot on, and Ruby knew this. "What you need to do is stop trying to shepherd the students that adore you, and just be yourself. If they really believe in you, they'll listen."

Ruby didn't say anything back. On the surface level, this was a standard-level advice for issues with other people, but nonetheless, he was right. But Ruby's heart refused to acknowledge it, and she always found herself trying to excuse why she shouldn't just get it over with.

"Well, I'm going back to bed." She got up, feeling like she had enough for now, and headed towards the door, only turning to Ren one last time before leaving.

"Good luck tomorrow."

* * *

The sun was shining high above the battlefield of the northern border. Each of team RWBY, as well as the students that remained to fight with them, were all ready as much as they could be, and all they had to wait for was the carrier, that would drop the usual wave of droids and paladins. Yesterday, though, marked the first Atlas specialist that came to battle them, and from what Ruby knew from Winter, this could only mean the final threshold was about to be passed, and Ironwood would send his finale at them. She looked at her side, and noticed how each of her team, including herself, were on the edge: Yang was in her own little world, looking at the distance with what Ruby could only assume was dread, Weiss became colder and colder as the war went on, and it almost seemed like her entire healing process was about to become undone, and Blake had a constant look of desperation in her eyes, as if she was about to pounce at the first sign of danger. Ruby herself was exhausted mentally, but the mere fact that the war could soon be over kept her going. This was her hope for now, and she was not going to let go of it.

Soon, they could see the carrier, finally arriving. This time though, it landed safely on the ground, instead of just opening its cargo doors, and letting the robot loose. They all looked, as the back door opened up instead, and each of team RWBY went wide-eyed in horror, as one by one, human soldiers, each equipped with a small, metallic exoskeleton stepped out of the carrier, and turned towards New Vale's forces.

"W-What?... Auras?..." The first to react was Yang. She saw this condensed sphere of auras approaching from a distance, but she was quite unsure it was the same as the black patches she had to fight so far. She stumbled back, and looked at the three auras next to her, as they all hardened up, prepared for battle.

"Wait, no!" She called to them. "We can't fight! These are auras!"

"We have to." Weiss said without a hint of remorse. "Even if they are human, we can't just give up."

"Well I won't fight!" She exclaimed, and turned back. She wanted to go back to the resting place she had with the other auras, but her heart was torn apart between helping them or not, and all she could do was take the sideline for now. Either way, the rest of the team each pulled her weapon, and watched as the armies of Atlas inched closer and closer, somehow gaining greater speed with each step.

"LISTEN TO ME!" Ruby called, and the students almost immediately paid her their full attention. She puffed her chest a little, and put on the act of the angel. "THESE ARE OUR ENEMIES, BUT THEY ARE STILL ALINE! KILLING THEM IS A GREAT SIN! SO WHATEVER YOU DO, AVOID DEATH AT ALL COSTS!"

"YES, MY ANGEL!" They all called, almost in complete unison. Ruby was already well versed in acting as the angel, so much so that she developed this second persona just for addressing her followers. In the end, it all just boiled down to surviving the day, but Ruby still wanted to feel like she was fighting for something more. At times, she would almost slip into the angel's persona involuntarily, and she tried to avoid it as much as she could.

"THEN CHARGE!" She called, and the forces of New Vale ran forward, to engage with Atlas.

Ruby jumped in, and almost immediately, she was surrounded by at least ten soldiers, each of them seemingly only half there in their minds. She readied Crescent Rose and let her silver eyes manifest their full power, unleashing her very best against them. One of the soldiers came at her with a dust blade, which seemed to partially attach itself to his very arm, and Ruby jumped away from it, while Weiss dashed from the side, after summoning her armor, and pushed him away. The moment she did this, though, the soldier froze in place, barely able to maintain this level of dust in his blood without proper huntsmen training, and he quickly turned to crystal right before their eyes.

"What?..." Ruby couldn't believe her eyes, as she just realized what they were going into.

Every single soldier fighting them was attached to dust infusers.

Every single soldier was going to die.

She had to think fast. If things went on as they were, this fight wouldn't last long, and not because they were too tired or anything. She tried to engage another soldier, simply attempting to knock him out with nothing more of a love tap, but the second her aura touched him, it triggered the dust in his blood, and he crystallized.

"Weiss we have to stop this!" Ruby called, trying to dodge as many of them as she could. All around her, the students were fighting as well, the bodies of the soldiers began to pile up, and she found a small high spot to stand on, and called again.

"MY FAITHFUL! DO NOT ENGAGE! FALL BACK, AND ONLY FIGHT WHEN YOUR LIVES DEPEND ON IT, BUT DO NOT LET THEM THROUGH TO THE CITY!" They listened to her command, and soon, a wall of huntsmen trainees stood vigil around the border, fighting as little as possible.

"What do we do?!" Blake came close to them, as another soldier came close, and she intercepted with a close. "We can't just let them all die!"

"Maybe there is a controller somewhere!" Ruby thought. "This many soldiers with new technology, and there is bound to be someone watching from the shadows, monitoring all of this!"

"But we need Yang to find someone like that!" Weiss argued in the middle of fighting. "And we won't fight!"

"..." Ruby thought about what to do with Yang. If they wanted to stop this chaos, they needed her aura tracing ability.

"I'll go." Blake decided, and headed out towards the outer rim of the battlefield, where Yang appeared to just stand, wide-eyed, as the tears flowed from her face. "Just hold on until I return."

Blake dashed towards Yang. Somehow, she managed to go against her new instincts of protecting everyone, and focus on her girlfriend. This went on for long enough, and she intended to bringing Yang back, no matter the cost.

"Yang!" She called to her, moving her aura in the appropriate way, and Yang turned to her, her face filled with sorrow.

"What do you want?" Yang asked reluctantly.

"We need you there. You can help us put an end to this!" Blake cried out. "If you help us see if there is an aura that's behind this, we could stop the deaths!"

"NOO!" Yang shouted, and covered her ears. Seeing so many auras, which looked closer and closer to hers suddenly cease moving and wilt, put her into a panic attack. Yang didn't know where to put herself anymore.

"I won't do it! I don't want to go there!" She shouted. "I can't see anyone die anymore!"

"Then what about us?!" Blake called back. "Don't you care about me as well?! What if I die?!"

"I care about everyone!" The Dust Celica started to glow and transform, as Yang slipped into anger. "Why can't you just leave me alone?!"

Blake jumped in, and before Yang could respond, locked her lips with Yang's. She held Yang close, and she felt the heat emanating from the huntress slowly cool down, and she opened her eyes, revealing traces of her lilac eyes back.

"Because I love too much to see you hurt yourself like this." Blake answered decisively.

Yang looked at the aura in front of her, and noticed something different. It was still an aura, and nothing around it, but for some reason, when she looked at this particular aura, she felt her heart respond with warm feelings.

"B-Blake?" She asked, not sure even where the information came to her from. All she knew now is that this aura had a name, and that name brought up feelings of even greater love from within her then other auras.

"You remember?!" Blake cheered up. Looking at Yang, it didn't look like she managed to regain herself just yet, but traces of her memory seemed to return.

"I-I Don't know..." Yang replied confounded. "But that's not important. You said we have an aura to find, right Blake?" She repeated the word to herself once more, and tried to memorize this feelings that aura was connected to.

"Right. Come on!" Blake ran off, and Yang followed her. As they approached the main battlefield, Yang could feel the presence of the frozen auras all around her. It made her shudder, and she tried not to look at them directly. A lone soldier ran towards them, seemingly oblivious to the state of his comrades, and started to fire his rifle at the two. Yang, without thinking, jumped between the bullets and Blake, and let the dust from the bullet enter the Dust Celica, charging it with a bit of red dust. She came to blast the soldier, but Blake held her hand before she could muster any form of fire.

"Don't! If you hit him, he'll die!" Blake called, and Yang pulled her hand back, channeling the red dust away from her hand to the rest of her body, in an attempt to disperse of the attack without harming anyone. The soldier kept on going, trying to shoot at the two some more, but Blake took a small rock from the ground, and threw it at his helmet shocking the soldier. Luckily, it wasn't enough to kill it, and they ran towards Ruby and Weiss, who were neck deep in humanoid dust crystals at this point.

"Ruby! Weiss!" Yang called as they approached the two. Yet more auras with 'names' she conspicuously knew out of nowhere. Ruby, hearing Yang call out her name, turned to her, and a hopeful smile formed on her face.

"Yang?"

"Listen, I don't know what came over me. For some reason, I keep recalling all of you with names, even though the thing shouldn't be possible." She paused a little, and scanned the auras around her with her now lilac-tainted golden eyes, making sure she wasn't just imagining things. "And yet, this is what I see now. I can feel you, Ruby, as someone different then the auras around us."

"Well, you're on the path." Ruby smiled for a bit, and turned towards the carrier, which didn't seem to leave, and only hover around the battlefield. "Anyway, we need your help. I have a feeling that someone is controlling the dust infusers on all the soldiers. Think you can trace them out?"

Yang reached out to one of the frozen auras and touched it's surface, looking for any semblance of response from it. When she found none, she simply looked for any connections to the metal exoskeleton that became a permanent part of the dust. Little by little, she noticed another aura seeping from it, and she followed the trail, directing her at the carrier in the sky. It was barely there, but in Yang's eyes, traces of the physical world came back into view.

"Over there." She pointed to the flying ship, and Ruby, not wasting a moment, tried to come up with a way to get up there.

"Weiss, launch me." She ordered, and Weiss conjured a glyph, and aimed it at the aircraft. "I'll be going in alone. Each of you, try and distract the soldiers as much as you can. The moment I find a way to disable the dust infusers, take them all out, but don't kill them." The glyph grew darker and darker as Weiss focused more of her aura into sending Ruby into the air. The carrier was quite high up, and she needed to induce massive amounts of her aura into the glyph if Ruby wanted to actually reach it.

"Ready?" Ruby asked Weiss, who nodded.

"Stay safe, okay?" Weiss said out of nowhere, and released the glyph, sending Ruby flying. She soared through the sky, as the carrier, apparently noticing her approach, started to deploy various missiles at her direction. She opened her eyes wide, as the silver eyes glowed again, and she could see each missile coming, with much more accuracy. They slowed down in her mind, as the aura overflowing through her brain accelerated her thought process, and she could see how each missile approached, and quickly adjusted Crescent Rose's direction, slicing them all in half, without harming herself whatsoever. Soon after, she hit the carrier's outer wall, and hung onto it with her scythe, ripping the metal apart like it was butter. She fell through into the hovercraft and saw its main cargo space completely empty, besides a single, old looking man, sitting in front of a computer.

"HEY!" She called out to him, and he turned to her, face filled with guilt and shame. She approached him, weapon at the ready, and he showed little to no signs of resisting.

"Hello, child." He talked to her. "I assume you are here to turn off the dust infusers."

"Yes." Ruby pointed her weapon at him, and the bearded man didn't even flinch. She looked at him, and seeing as he was not going to move, she raised her scythe, prepared to do what had to be done. In cases like this, Ruby learned that the well-being of the group will triumph the individual.

"Before I do this, may I at least know your name?" She asked. If she was going to kill someone like this, she wanted to honor his memory properly.

The old man smiled. "Doctor Glint Polendina."

Ruby froze in place, and retreated her weapon. "Did you say Polendina?" She asked him surprised.

"Yes. I assume you are Ruby Rose. Penny used to tell me so much about you..." He closed his eyes sighed. "At least, she is safe in Beacon, right?"

"Yes, of course!" Ruby couldn't bring herself to kill him anymore, and she approached the man, looking at the screens behind him. If she harmed him, Penny would be heartbroken, and Ruby decided it was worth sparing his life. "We still have to turn those off, you know."

"I know. And I won't stop you. I've had some time to think about this when the carrier brought me here, and I decided I don't want to serve under James anymore. Not like this" The moment Dr. Polendina left Ironwood's oppressive presence, he started to think about his actions and decisions. In the end, his own reason won out, and it was clear staying in Atlas' side was just not worth it anymore.

"Well, you can come with me, them." Ruby raised her weapon. "You might want to take cover for this one."

"No, no. Please, there's no need to thrash the place." He simply pushed a few of the buttons, and the observation and control machine turned itself of. "You don't have to worry about this. I doubt any of the pilots can operate this sort of equipment."

"Right." Ruby and the doctor headed to the cockpit, where a small metal door stood in their way. Ruby could jump out, but not carrying an old, frail man with her, so the best option was to threaten the pilots into landing the entire carrier. Ruby morphed Crescent Rose into its rifle form, and shot a pure dust bullet against the door, blasting the lock apart. She kicked it opened, and in the blink an eye, she was already holding the main pilot by the neck with the scythe, while her glowing eyes glared fiercely at the co-pilot.

"W-Who are you?!" The pilot called in fear, barely able to grasp the situation.

Ruby just gave him a small smile. "I'm the red angel. And you are landing this thing."

It didn't take long to coerce them into doing what she wanted. The ship lowered, and soon, it landed on the battlefield, the door opening, letting both Ruby and dr. Polendina out. However, the moment they stepped outside, both of them were shocked by what they saw.

Ruby's team were standing frozen in the middle of a giant field of frozen, crystallized soldiers.

Ruby fell to her knees. "WHAT HAPPENED?!" She turned to the doctor. "I THOUGHT THIS WOULD STOP THE DUST! WHY?!"

"I... I don't know." He turned to her. No one told him there was a kill switch built into the system, and now that he thought about it, there was only one person who could have done this, and that man was Ironwood. He most likely put it there as a fail-safe in case he decided to defect to Vale's side. "But I had no idea this would have happened."

Ruby ran to her friends, crying. Weiss caught her, and the two embraced each other, trying to find some comfort in this madness. Blake was already holding Yang close to her, not wanting her to snap again, and Yang, still overwhelmed from seeing each and every aura freeze at once, tried to focus on the auras that did move, and look at the still living. The trio saw the doctor arrive, but from his expression, they could figure he had no hand in this, and was just as a victim to Ironwood's scheme as the soldiers were.

"We have to stay strong." Ruby finally said, when her tears calmed down. "We have to keep our hope alive, even in the face of death." She went silent, and each of her team felt her words echo through them, resonating on some level, even Yang. She came to leave them be, but Yang stopped her before she could.

"Wait. They at least deserve a proper sending." She decided, and Ruby nodded in agreement. Yang went to each of the frozen auras, and touched then with her Dust Celica, applying her own aura against theirs. The auras, and the dust they were attached to, dissipated to the winds, as the field around them became filled with the many colors of the rainbow. In some ways, this was as beautiful as it was sad, and after a few short minutes, Yang was finished, letting the last group of soldiers dissipate.

"Let's go." She told her team as they headed back to Beacon, to let Ciel have her final rest.

* * *

Ironwood was sitting in his war room. The scientists' dust infusers cost him more than he bargained for, having forced to use the kill switch. Even beyond that, the data that did came only showed that the end result was inevitable, and now, his own armies suffered a great hit, thanks to the incompetence of his subordinates, which he proceeded to fire en masse. This was the last straw, and he decided he was going to end this war in the next wave, no matter what. He approached the balcony watching over the speeches hall, where many of his soldiers already gathered.

"My man!" he called to them "Today, we suffer a great loss, at the hands of the forces of New Vale. Those MONSTERS slaughtered the entire sixth brigade, and I will stand for this war anymore!" His man roared, as they usually did, and he waited for them to quiet down. It was a lie, of sorts, as their deaths were really on his hands, but Ironwood knew exactly what to say in order to entice the crowd.

"Which is why I have decided to lead the last wave of the war MYSELF!" The crowd cheered again. "Join me! As we end this massacre together in the name of Atlas!"

"IN THE NAME OF ATLAS!" They all repeated him, and he left the short speech, heading back into the deeper layers of this tower. He found himself hanging there more and more as the war progressed. He entered a small lab, where a small group of people greeted him.

"Are my augmentations ready?" He cut straight to the chase, and took his coat off, revealing the robotic half of his body.

"Yes, my general. We could install them on you now, if you want."

"Do it." He laid on the operation table standing in the middle of the room, while the doctors and surgeons surrounded him, and started to take his body apart.

**A/N: Okay. The stage is set, the actors are ready, and I believe I've drawn this war out long enough.**

**Next chapter, Ironwood comes to the war.**


	46. The Breaking Point Part 1

The morning came, and everyone felt unprepared.

The events that happened last wave left each of team RWBY unsure what to do anymore. While things looked a little better, as there no casualties last time, the reason for that made them very discouraged. Alas, they had no time to rest. The scouts the positioned on the borders told them the carriers were already on route and that this time, there were a lot more of them on the horizon. It would appear that this time, Ironwood was going all in, either to win, or lose, the war for good.

Each student, as well as the huntsmen, gathered around Beacon's main hall. Glynda decided she wanted to say a few parting words to them, before sending them away this time. The tension was absurdly high, and it became evident that no one even had a shred of doubt what was about to unfold.

"Students and huntsmen of New Vale," She started her small speech. "Today, I send you personally to the edges of our newborn kingdom, to defend it once again from the forces that threaten to destroy it. This is a war on ideals, on justice, and while it began as a small dispute over a certain something," her eyes unconsciously turned to Penny, who was sitting in the back, "I believe it had evolved into something much more important. This is our chance to cement ourselves in the world, and prove to the other kingdoms that we are not weak! We are not small! And we will survive!" The students stood in silence, but in their hearts, specks of hope began to grow. The fear was there, death loomed above them, and yet, none of them trembled.

"So please, as I send you today, do your very best! Fight, but not just for New Vale, but for each other, and for those you care about!" The crowd started to clap, one by one, until eventually the whole area was filled with calls of enthusiasm and hope. They were not going to let Atlas win, at any cost, and no matter how much he tired them out, they would stand tall.

"Well, here we go, then." Ruby turned to her team. Even then, on the verge of what began to feel like the final battle, they still managed to stand. As they walked towards their lift to the northern border, they were stopped by a familiar figure, standing at the entrance to the small bullhead: Winter.

"What are YOU doing here?" Weiss couldn't help but ask.

"We decided that we should follow the students from now on to the war." Winter explained. "I was allowed to accompany you four." It was quite obvious why Winter would have wanted to go specifically there, but nonetheless, RWBY couldn't help but understand her. They boarded the aircraft, and went on their way, to the edge of hell. Once they reached the border, the students and huntsmen each took their position. All they had left now was to wait for them to come.

The minutes quickly turned to hours, and soon, night fell above them, the moon shining high on the soon to be battlefield. The students were growing restless, and people were starting to doubt if they were going to show up at all.

"Look! Over there!" Called one of them and pointed. What they saw left each of them with their jaws wide open: There were not one, but an entire fleet of carriers, heading their direction. They landed a good distance away from them, and the floodgates opened, releasing hordes of soldiers, mechs, and paladins, all geared up and ready for combat. This time, the soldiers did not have any dust infusers attached to them. On the horizon, a single, dark-haired man could be seen, dressed in a bright white suit, as the carriers lifted off the ground, and returned to Atlas, waiting for the order to come back and retrieve the soldiers once the war had been over.

Ironwood had come to settle the score, personally.

"Is that?..." Winter couldn't believe her eyes at first. Even though it had already been more than a month since she defected, it all felt like it was yesterday in her mind. There he stood, the general she swore to fight against, at the helm of his forces, ready to step in at any moment.

"Listen, the four of you," She turned to team RWBY. "We have to focus on Ironwood. If he is really here, then that means this IS the final wave, and he is not going to let go that easily. If we can take him down, then the rest of his armies will fall with him and break. This is our best chance if we want to end this chaos as quickly as possible."

"Right." Ruby agreed and turned to the students around her. Hopefully, this would be the last time she had to command them as the angel, and soon, she could return to being just Ruby.

"LISTEN, MY HUNTSMEN! IRONWOOD HAS DECIDED TO SHOW HIMSELF! NOW IS THE TIME TO GO ALL OUT, AND FINISH THIS WAR, ONCE AND FOR ALL! FIGHT THEM, WITH ALL OF YOUR STRENGTH, AND I PROMISE YOU, BETTER DAYS _WILL_ COME!" Her influence on their spirits was uncanny, and the forces of New Vale charged forward, weapons in hands, filled with determination and will. The battle began, and this time, the armies' massive size managed to compare to the strength of the huntsmen and students, as the two sides got locked into battle. Ruby and her friends dashed through, accompanied by Winter, as they tried to engage in as little fighting as possible. Even though she told them before to try and not kill, it was inevitable that losses would occur, and the bodies began to pile up all over the place. At this point, the grimm would have shown up already, tearing into both factions and killing as many as they could, but for some reason, they stayed their hand, only a handful of young beowulves and ursai showing up around the very edges, not even trying to advance any further.

A group of droids, coupled with a piloted atlesian knight, approached the group. Ruby didn't waste a second, and flared her silver eyes, disappearing, and slicing a few of the knights on the spot. She was promptly followed by Blake, who used her clones to try and control the croud, while Yang jump into the air, and landed on the paladin, and punched through the metal of the construct, pulling out the pilot in one, swift motion. He was injured from the metal surrounding him as he flew past, but Yang had no intention of killing the man, and she only knocked him out, the paladin losing power shortly after. Another soldier jumped from behind her, though Yang felt his aura approach from afar, and she turned to him, grabbing the soldier, and tossing him to the ground, again not killing. It hurt her, to even scrape the auras around her like she did, but Yang knew that if she didn't, the auras she cares about would get hurt as well, and she couldn't bring herself to see that happen. One of the knights began to shoot at her, and Weiss intercepted, pulling a glyph to quickly deflect the attack, and she dashed against the knight, and tore it in two using her summoned blade. Alas, they were not used to this numbers, and soon, they found themselves surrounded by enemies on all sides.

"We have to do something!" Ruby called, and destroyed another robot. Her aura, though rather large, was not infinite, and she found herself having to conserve on her silver eyes, activating them only when necessary, and using her semblance scarcely as well.

"Just keep pushing through! We'll make it!" Blake called back. Her clones were able to match the robots, the robot and soldiers, but many of them still became undone before managing to do some damage. Her clones were deterministic in nature, and while she could generate them with a series of commands in mind, they would not do anything else, and dissipate shortly after serving their purpose. The forces of Atlas, on the other hand, kept on pushing them, and soon, it became apparent that they would not be able to break the line without a miracle. Blake became desperate, wanting to protect her friends, and she jumped forward, pulling both Wilt and Gambol Shroud, and she started to push through by force, taking out as many of them as she could.

"Blake!" Yang called from behind her, but Blake didn't listen. Her primal instincts kicked in, and her movements became wilder and wilder, as she and her clones battled as many of them as she could. Suddenly, she felt something push her, and she fell to the floor, as a soldier pointed his gun at her.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" She heard a voice, followed by a loud buzzing sound, and the soldier that stood upon her fell down to the floor. She got up, and saw the face of a man she never expected to intervene.

"Banesaw?"

She looked at the man, now leader of the White Fang. He was staring at her, his grimm mask missing, and she could see his eyes, narrowed and thin-lined, scales and scars covering his face. "What are you doing here?"

"Listening to you." He gave a loud shout, and the members of the White Fang came from behind him, each one without the mask, as they joined up with the forces of New Vale, and battled Atlas.

"But why? Why now?" She had to know. When she first fought him, he was vengeful and cold hearted. But now, with his mask off, she could see the faunus was looking at her, eyes filled with the same urge she felt inside herself, to protect those dear to him.

"We decided to change our ways, Blake." He briefly spoke, and swung his chainsaw blade, slicing and dicing the robots and soldiers around him. "You were right. If we wanted equality, we had to PROVE ourselves to the rest of the world, and we'll start by helping you now!" He turned to the rest of the White Fang.

"LISTEN UP MEN! THIS IS OUR FINAL FRONT! NOW, Let's SHOW THEM THE POWER OF THE WHITE FANG!" The other members cried out, and before Blake and her team knew it, the combined numbers of the huntsmen and the faunus were enough, and the soldiers' lines began to thin out, as more and more were deployed to the front lines to fight.

"Now's our time! Let's do this!" Ruby called, and activated her silver eyes, and combining them with her semblance, she dashed forth, not letting a single soldier stand in her way. Weiss followed suit with the dilation glyph, slowing time around her just enough to allow her to run past the now shallow lines of Atlas, Blake pushed her way through using her afterimages and clones, and Yang simply walked through, sending shockwaves all around her, and blasting away everything that got too close to her most important auras. Winter, following behind them, was quite impressed with her sister's performance. She never expected Weiss to be able to generate the dilation glyph to such a degree, yet nonetheless, she has yet to perfect it. Winter focused for a brief moment, and her own glyph appeared, changing colors right to the yellow, just in the middle of the power level. Time slowed so much, that she could see the beads of sweat fly away from her face, as they left a trail of water in her wake. It was really quite simple to bypass their defenses, now that their numbers had diminished at the back. In hindsight, she should have saved up on aura, but nonetheless, keeping up with the rest was more important.

"We're coming for you, Ironwood!" Ruby shouted, leading the group, as they ran forward, towards the end.

* * *

"Sir! They're breaking through the lines with ease! We can't stop them!" One of the communication cuarriers called out to the general, who stood atop some of the rubble, and observed the battle unfurl. He expected some of them to be able to sneak through, and he was more than ready to take them on personally. He looked for a small moment at his right arm, and moved a little, while clutching his fist. He ran a mental check of his most recent upgrades, making sure they all operated with top efficiency, and the computer connected to his mind that allowed controlling the machinery in the first place streamed the information directly into his eyes, showing the results of the system scan. It was all perfect, he was ready, and soon, he could see with the naked eye the flashes of red and white slashing through his forces, followed by three others.

"Ironwood!" Ruby called out to him, and he stood aloof, looking down at her and her team.

"I wondered when you will arrive." He told them and turned to the rest of his men. "You there, leave us!" He moved his gaze back to the group of huntsmen before him. "They. Are. MINE." The soldiers around him obeyed his command, and each of them left the scene, joining up with the various groups of soldiers around the battlefield.

"You dare show yourself before me?" He asked Winter accusingly. "You should be well prepared to face your punishment for your defection then."

"No." She called back. "It'd YOU who has to answer for your actions!" She pointed to the mayhem happening just behind them. "Look! Look and tell me THIS is what you wanted, James!"

"I only want the best for the people, and you proved yourselves an obstacle to my vision."

"Really?" Ruby couldn't stand the hypocrisy. "Is this war even worth it, just to get Penny back?!"

"This isn't about Penny anymore!" He shouted at them. "This is about principle!"

"What. PRINCIPLE?!" None of them could believe their ears.

"That power will triumph!" He called back. "I can't let anyone disgrace the army like this and go unscathed! I have to prove to the world that the atlesian Army can keep them safe from the grimm all around Remnant, and how can I do that when one, small kingdom just pops out and steals from me?! I wasn't even going to kill any of you, and instead give you a proper leadership under my banner!"

"Like hell we'd want that!" Yang answered this time. "Why would any of us want to be ruled by such an oppressive, cold aura?! We weren't meant to be ordered! We were made to be free!"

"Then I guess both of us have our beliefs." He fixed his tie, something he did when he had to confront something big, and continued with a softer, more quiet voice.

"Very well, then let's see whose vision for Remnant shines brightest."

He stepped forward, and all of a sudden, pulses of electricity surrounded him, as he became lighter and lighter, until finally hovering above the ground. He pulled his gun out of it's holster, and aimed it at the group, it already being loaded with various condensed dust bullets, manufactured specifically for him.

"Be careful! This is new, even for him." Winter warned all of them, and pulled out Gerechtigkeit, immediately pulling its secondary blade, as she charged forth, and the general, using her glyph to go into the air and attack him. He saw her coming, and shot her several times, Winter dodging each one, as she got closer and closer to Ironwood. She jumped above him, and clashed her swords with his pistol; it's hardened plating making it more than capable of blocking other weaponry.

"Is that all?" He almost looked bored at her.

"I'm not done yet!" She shouted, and the summoning glyph appeared from behind her, the white beowulf jumping through and attacking Ironwood. He, on the other hand, merely raised his other free arm, grabbed the faux grimm, and tossed it to the ground.

"Come on!" Ruby shouted at the team, and shifted Crescent Rose to gun mode, and began to shoot at Ironwood, the bullets having little to no effect on him. He seemed to have had enough of Winter, and his stance shifted, sending a pulse of dust-charged electricity at Winter, knocking her back. He dashed from the air, aiming to slam against her, but Yang intercepted, and blocked him with her Dust Celica.

"What are yo-" He didn't even manage to finish his sentence, before Yang pushed him away, eyes gleaming almost entirely in gold. She focused her aura to the Dust and Blaze Celicas, as each of them glowed with power, and she started throwing punches at the general, forcing him to avoid her by flying away. Before he could do this, though, he felt something pulling his back, and saw Blake, creating a chain with her clones, each one holding onto each other, until she managed to overpower him, and slammed Ironwood to the ground. He got up quickly, and Ruby came at him with her impeccable speed, aiming to finish Ironwood off with her scythe. He needed a little more time before he could take flight again, and he and Ruby got locked into close combat, trading blows.

"Ruby!" Weiss called, and used her glyph to come to her lover's aid, slashing at Ironwood from above before landing at Ruby's side.

"Weiss, help me surround him!" Ruby called, and Weiss created a circle of glyphs around Ironwood, on which Ruby started to spin over and over using her semblance, sometimes jumping across to deliver another blow to the general.

"Enough!" He called, he the next time Ruby charged at him, he stood his ground, and shot her, sending her away. Weiss quickly caught her before she hit the ground, and luckily, the wound wasn't that serious, her aura blocking most of it.

"Yang!" She called, and Blake and Winter came to delay Ironwood until she could finish healing Ruby. Yang ran up to her, and applied her aura to the wound, closing it as much as she could.

"Thanks, sis..." Ruby said faintly, and soon, she could feel her strength return to her, the injury healed. She got up, and readied her weapon, she, Weiss and Yang joining the other two, who had a tough time dealing with Ironwood.

"Ugh!" Blake shouted in pain as the general kicked her with his bionic leg. Yang caught her, and Ruby and Weiss jumped in, attacking the general in complete unison. Weiss, using the dilation glyph, caught up with Ruby's semblance, and the two pushed Ironwood further and further back. The other three joined in for a combined assault, and it would seem that Ironwood was losing, bit by bit, having trouble keeping up with all five of them at the same time.

"I've had enough." He jumped back, his flight restored, and he hovered over to the high place he stood on in the beginning, and looked at them fiercely.

"Now you've forced my hand." He cleared his throat, and Yang could see his aura building up for something big, before he opened his mouth, and shouted at them as hard as he could.

"KNEEL!"

Suddenly, all of them felt an unbearable pain flowing over them. Yang twisted and convulsed, as Ironwood's voice tore through her aura, somehow forcing it to twist and bend, making them obey his command. Each of them resisted it as much as they could, but they were now paralyzed, trying to wrestle control over their own bodies.

"I said," He cleared his throat again, "KNEEEEEEEL!"

His scream was almost primal in its ferocity, and after the second time, none of them managed to stand up anymore, obeying his command, not being able to move, no matter how hard they tried.

"H-How?!" Weiss somehow managed to open her mouth and snarl at him.

Ironwood simply gave her a condescending look. "That, is my semblance." He told them.

"the ABSOLUTE SOVEREIGN!"

* * *

Penny stood on one of Beacon's balconies, looking at the distance. Her friends told her, not to come help them, because if she did, Atlas could capture her, and turn her back into the heartless machine she once was. However, Penny felt like she couldn't accept it, and she wanted nothing more than to go. From what the injured what were hurried back to heal told her, Ironwood himself went to war against RWBY, while the rest of his specialists were assigned the other borders, fighting the many huntsmen and students on each side. For now, she listened to them, and stayed her hand, but something told her that soon, she might have to make the choice.

"Penny?" She heard a voice call from behind her, and turned, to see her father, at long last.

"P-Papa..." She came to him and gave the old man a tight hug. She only heard of his arrival in Beacon, but now, they were finally able to meet, and she missed him so, so much.

"It's okay, Penny... I'm here now..." Dr. Polendina gave her a loving smile, and she looked up at him, and smiled back, before returning to look towards the battlefield solemnly.

"I want to go." She told her father and creator. "I want to be there for them, and help my friends fight this mess! I can't just sit here anymore!"

"I know, Penny, but you have to understand that we, that I, can't risk you getting hurt again. We were separated for so long; I don't want to see my own daughter injured like you did last year."

His words brought up the Vytal festival. It was a dark time, both for Penny and many other people around her, but for what it was worth, Penny believed she was stronger than that now.

"I can do this! I just know it!" She said, and started to hover, demonstrating her upgrades to her father. "Look! I can even fly now! I can help them!"

"..." Her father looked at her one last time, and closed his eyes, sighing. "Penny, I don't think I have the right to command you to do anything anymore, though I still love very, very much." He said and approached her, giving his artificial child another hug. "Just please, promise me you'll be careful, okay?" It was hard, to let her go, but in his head, Dr. Polendina knew that if he told her to stay there in Beacon, she would just run anyway the moment she gets.

"I will." Penny readied herself, and turned towards the Northern border, flying as fast as she could.

* * *

His words were followed by intensity none of them could handle. "My semblance allows me to command and inspire those around me, giving me the ability to make sure my orders are followed to a tee." He gave them a brief explanation. "So far, I've used it to inspire my men, and make sure there were no traitors amongst my forces." His gaze turned cold. "But lately, thanks to you, I've had to use it in less, 'subtle' ways in order to meet my goals."

Ruby wanted to respond, but the moment she tried to open her mouth, Ironwood saw her, and shouted. "SILENCE!" His command ran through her, and Ruby, as well as the rest of her team, couldn't even think about speaking. Ironwood started to approach Ruby, pulling his pistol and reloading it.

"This is why I win." He gave them a serious look. "Because unlike you, I have the POWER to see things through. Your semblances may be powerful, and mine makes the true difference in the world." He pointed his gun at Ruby, and loaded it with red another bullet, ready to finish her off.

"This is my fate." He looked so confident in his every word, as though doubt never even existed in his mind to begin with.

 _Fate?..._ Something within Weiss stirred up, against the oppression. _His, 'fate'?..._ The question raised itself in her head again, and the more she thought about it, the angrier it made her. She looked again, into the depths of her heart, and beheld all the grime and darkness that seeped through. If she wanted to break free, she knew what she had to do, but still, fear crept all over her. She wasn't sure what would happen, but the more she looked, the more she noticed the tiny, fragmented, glints of light, passing through as well. The shadows were powerful, but Weiss realized something.

 _There is just as much light within me, huh?..._ She reminisced back to the times she had with her team, up until that moment. Even though there were times she felt anger or hate, there were just as many times she felt joy and happiness.

 _"Then you know what you have to know, right?"_ She heard a voice, her voice, echo down from within her.

 _Yes._ She answered, and broke the barrier around her heart, letting all of her emotions flow. Her consciousness returned to the battlefield, and she felt her heart burning.

"No..." Weiss managed to utter.

"What?..." Ironwood retracted his hand and turned to Weiss instead. "YOU DARE SPEAK?!" He shouted at her with the full might of his semblance.

"I said," Weiss felt more and more power surge into her as her heart pounded loud, pulsating her with raw emotion. She quickly took control over her own body, and managed to repel his control over her aura using her precise knowledge over it. "NOOOO!" She struggled, but little by little; she managed to get up, and stand on her two feet, holding her weapon in Ironwood's direction.

"How?!" He called, and she dashed at him, the knight's blade shimmering with even more power.

"Because _I_ am the mistress of my fate!" She lunged, swinging her sword, and attacked Ironwood. By now, she was able to move almost entirely freely, and her own determination and emotion fueled her with power. "I won't let anyone control me! Not you! Not my father! Not anyone!" Mentioning her father at the moment felt a little odd to Weiss, but she had to accept it: He WAS her father, whether or not she saw him as one, and most likely, if it weren't thanks to him, she wouldn't even be standing there right now.

"FALL!" He shouted at her, but it was useless. Weiss' control over her own aura kicked in, and, combined with her newfound will, she repelled his semblance and continued her assault, jumping above him and using a glyph to stop herself mid-air, falling down for an impalement attack. This was her proof, that she knew her own path: If she listened to Yang, and just let her aura flow wherever it wanted, she would still be on the ground, kneeling, as Ironwood killed each and every one of them.

"Never!" She yelled, and another pulse of power washed over her, and the knight's blade grew in her hand, reaching the full might of the original. She held it tightly, the weight of the thing not changing to her, and she charged at Ironwood while her friends and sister watched her. Little by little, she broke Ironwood's concentration, and she came at him again, twisting her enlarged blade, while loading a green crystal into Myrtenaster, and she unleashed a bolt of pure lightning at the general, hitting him directly. This, coupled with his earlier fatigue building up, finally managed to break his control over the others, as Ruby, Blake, Yang, and Winter felt his oppression slowly dissipate from their bodies.

"Weiss..." Ruby stared with awe at her partner, who unleashed everything she had at the general. She looked around for a brief moment, and noticed that each huntsman that was close enough to see their fight redoubled him or herself, seeing Weiss struggle even harder, and fought on, taking more of Atlas' army down. She got up, looked at Ironwood, and gave a broad smile while readying her weapon. She realized she forgot to smile, even once in a while, ever since the war began, and now, on the prefaces of the end, things made a little more sense to her, and she turned to huntsmen and called out for them.

"EVERYONE! DO YOUR BEST! I BELIEVE IN _YOU_!" She called to them, and she could feel the adoration from the students fill them with power as well. All this time, she was fighting her own title, her biggest strength, just to pretend that things could go to the way they were before. During this war, though, Ruby realized something important: She _is_ special, she _is_ unique, and most likely, no one else on Remnant could understand her silver eyes. But that didn't mean she had to hide it and try and play herself out as something she wasn't. She let her eyes glow with power, and ran towards Ironwood as well, joining Weiss. Ruby felt her power grow and grow, and the more she accepted her role in the world, and came to terms with the fact that she probably won't be able to go back, the more the eyes responded, and she could feel herself become faster and faster.

"You two?!" Ironwood shouted, and aimed his gun at her, but Ruby was faster, and got out of the way, coming at the general, who flew away from their reach, and hovered in the air.

"I won't cower!" Ruby shouted at him. "I have people who believe in me too! I can't let them down, no matter what!" The silver eyes overflowed, and by now, Ruby should have been blinded by the overwhelming light, and yet, she could see him as clear as the moon above them. Crescent Rose spun and danced in her hands, and with the silver eye's power, Ironwood had to keep dodging her attacks, while she and Weiss started to corner him. Yet, it was not quite enough, and Ironwood hovered further and further from them, blasting them both with his gun, changing its configuration from a pistol to armor piercing, his bullets becoming more powerful.

Blake still couldn't get up. She felt so weak, on her own, as she stared helplessly at her friends, imbued with courage and strength, fighting for their lives against the general. She wanted to help, but for some reason, she couldn't muster an ounce of aura to create a clone, and thus, she was stuck next to Yang, who, for some reason couldn't move either. Blake had to let herself build up her aura, while connecting to her desire to keep her friends safe. All this time, she thought this was her duty, and her mission alone, but the White Fang, appearing in _her_ hour of need, brought up a new thought into her head.

_Do I really need to do this alone?_

The thought filled her with questions. This war made her so apathetic, in a way, and ever since she and her friends watched the first student die before their very eyes, she felt as though this was somehow on her shoulders, and she had to make sure no else had to suffer, all on her own. She concentrated on her semblance, letting it fill her, as she pondered the way it evolved during her journey, starting with the afterimages, that reflected her fear and loneliness, and moving to her clones, which she had to command and fill with her will. Suddenly, she felt herself torn apart again, as her semblance activated, but not by her own volition. Something else made its way through her, and soon, a single copy of herself stood in front of her, looking at Blake.

"What are you?" She asked it. She had no idea how this clone made itself be, but nevertheless, there it stood, wide eyed, as she could see a certain glint in its eyes. Her clones couldn't speak, and neither could this one and yet, it still managed to do something that shocked her.

The clone offered her its hand, trying to help her up.

The gesture confused Blake. She didn't command the clone to help her, and it seemed it had its own volition, and it waited for her to grab its hand. It took Blake some thought, but then, the pieces fell together in her mind: _This is me!_ She thought to herself. _I needed help, and my own semblance listened to me!_ She grabbed the clone's hand, and it pulled her up, getting Blake back to her feet, before dissipating, having served its purpose. Blake felt her aura, now molded by her newfound power, brim with life and energy, as she took her stance, putting herself on the edge again, and the brief images of her copies jittered around her. She ran towards Ironwood, and even though it was high in the air, she jumped at him, using her clones to push her higher and higher, while Weiss and Ruby, who noticed her expression, cleared out the way, and forced Ironwood to stay put in the air by launching elemental attacks and rifle shots all around him, making the general unable to navigate through the air. The clones held to each other, and the real Blake grabbed his foot, while starting to pull him down, her clones pulling each other with all their strength.

"Do you really think the same trick would work again?!" He bellowed and came to kick Blake's face with his other foot, but before he could, Blake summoned another clone, which grabbed his leg, and held onto him as well. The clones managed to throw Ironwood again, and he fell with Blake, who pushed herself away from him, while one of them jumped up to catch her, making sure she wasn't hurt from the fall.

"Well, Plan B it is, then!" Ironwood stepped back, and took a small syringe, filled with glowing orange dust.

"James no!" Winter called to him, but he didn't listen. Unlike the injectors, Ironwood learned his lesson, and he figured out that if he injects a small, monitored amount of dust into himself, he should still be able to control it, and channel the dust's full power, while not crystallizing. It was a bit of a long shot, but they drove him far enough, and he promised his men he would end this today, no matter what.

He took the syringe, and stabbed his own thigh, injecting the dust into himself. It passed through his blood, and almost immediately, Ironwood felt filled with vim and vigor. His senses boosted, he started darting around the girls, shooting at them faster and faster.

"Yang! We need you!" Ruby called to her sister, but Yang still couldn't move. Her aura was so loose that Ironwood's commands still affected her, and she couldn't break free. In some bizarre sense of irony, it was Weiss, who limited her aura's movements the most, that managed to break through first, with her sheer force of will. Yang struggled, but alas, her legs refused to get up.

"Yang!" Ruby called again, as Ironwood managed to catch her by surprise, slamming her across the battlefield. Weiss jumped at him in anger, but Ironwood saw her coming, and shot Weiss, blowing her away as well. Blake came at him, summoning a bunch of clones, as each of them circled Ironwood, in an attempt to surprise him, and yet again, he saw through her, and dashed to the real Blake, punching her in the gut, and sending her away. He hovered towards Ruby silently, and pointed his gun at her head, as he stared at her sister one last time.

"YAAAAAANG!"

Ruby's voice pierced Yang's mind, reaching its deepest layers. She looked up, and saw the aura known as Ironwood, gleaming with incredible power. Dust flowed through his veins, and the first thing she wanted to do was get up and try to stop him. She knew what happened, to auras not used handling this much dust at the same time, and even though this one was supposed to be her enemy, Yang still wanted to try and save it. However, Ruby's call made something inside Yang rise up again: The spark of change. It stirred her from within, and she felt it consume her, not knowing what to do. Everything felt comfortable to her at the moment. She knew her place in the world, knew what everyone is, and there shouldn't have been anything that could have disturbed that.

And yet, the urge to transform went wild within her, as though it was shouting at her she was blind to the truth.

Yang thought about it. Sure, after the last wave of darkness, she began to see auras with names attached to them, but even then it wasn't quite enough to convince her she didn't see everything. But Ruby's call changed that. It was filled with pain.

 _I can't just sit here and do nothing!_ She thought to herself and began to struggle harder. _My... My..._ She gave Ruby a worried glance, and the words came back to her mind.

_My sister needs me!_

The change pulsated through her, and this time, Yang surrendered to it. She felt the dust covering her heart crumble and flow directly into the Dust Celica, as her aura became hotter and hotter, burning through Ironwood's control. She closed her eyes, and managed to get up on her feet, as both the worlds she could see melded to one. Her very soul danced and morphed, strengthening her hold over her own body.

She opened her eyes as wide as she could, the pure gold shining through them, as Yang became one with the dust.

Yang's eyes, returning to their pure gold look, changed completely. Now, both the regular and aura visions permanently fused together, and Yang saw her sister, Ruby, lying on the floor, helpless. She dashed towards Ruby's aid, the dust in her body flowing and empowering her, and she instinctively turned her attention to the Dust Celica, as the crystal arm felt less and less solid to her, rather getting the notion of liquid, which she molds into the correct shape. Yang had done this before, and it never felt comfortable to her, but now, she accepted her body and soul as they were, and nothing was going to tear it away from her. She jumped in front of Ruby, the Dust Celica vibrating, and she blocked Ironwood's shot, without leaving a scratch on her, and dashed at him, the Dust Celica morphing and stretching, turning into a blade in her hand's steed.

"WHAT?!" He shouted, and had to avoid her, as Yang's Dust Celica's new form came at him. Yang was untrained with a sword, but this went beyond training and lessons. She moved the Dust Celica around, attacking Ironwood with all she's got, while changing the Dust Celica back and forth from arm to sword.

She tried to stab Ironwood, who dodged it and hovered away. She was no longer afraid of what could happen. Yang's resolve tightened, and even if she couldn't know what would happen in the future, she knew she could handle it, and take it head on.

"Yang! You..." Blake called to her from afar. Yang looked at her, eyes shining bright, as a bright smile formed on her face.

"Yeah Blake. I'm back, and for good this time."

Ironwood flew above them, and ripped his shirt apart, revealing his robotic body. His He put his hand on his chest, and it opened up, revealing a small lever, which he pulled on the spot. It overloaded his system, as the dust in his blood combined with the dust that operated his mechanical half, and he raised his right hand, which began to glow brightly.

"Now, WE END THIS!" He screamed in rage. Their bullshit was enough for him, and he charged the beam of light, intending to finish the fight.

"Winter, run! Help the others finish the rest of the army!" Weiss called to her sister.

"I won't! I won't leave you here behind."

"And I won't lose my sister!" Weiss called. Winter's heart beat with joy, seeing her sister finally acknowledge her, and she knew they could do it. After all, her sister managed to beat her father, and somehow, Winter knew, in the end, it would boil down to the four of them. She got up and turned her attention to the hordes of robots and soldiers, wielding her repairs with resolve.

Weiss gave her one last look. Even though each of them managed to rise above, their aura was running low, and without time, she knew they wouldn't be able to keep this up for long. Nonetheless, team RWBY prepared to go on, as Ironwood almost finished charging up his beam.

All of a sudden, right before their fate was sealed, a loud shriek was heard through the air. A single, short blade shot through the air, hitting Ironwood's arm, breaking his aim away from the girls, forcing Ironwood to shoot the beam in another direction and miss.

"WHAT?" He called. After a short moment, Ruby could see the person responsible for this transgression.

"Salutations." Penny summoned all of her swords, and locked her gaze with Ironwood's as the two flew at each other.


	47. The Breaking Point Part 2

"You..." Ironwood stared at the artificial girl, who flew before him. She raised her hand, and a huge number of swords erupted from her back, surrounding the general, as she dashed towards him, swinging her hand. The blades came close, and Ironwood flew upwards, stopping abruptly, and aiming his gun at Penny, shooting her multiple times. Penny nimbly moved out of the way, and came at him, grabbing one of her swords in her own hand, as the two clashed in the middle of the air, far above the exhausted team RWBY.

"And what makes you think you can even match up to me?" Ironwood asked her. "You should have just came quietly with me, and this whole war could have been avoided."

"NO!" Penny called back, and pushed Ironwood further, her aura burning. "I am my own person! I'll never become your puppet again!"

"We should have never made you sentient!" The general snarled back at her, flying all over the place, his dust infused body overflowing with power. That system overload forced him to cool off for a quite a while, weakening him, and disabling his robotic half's full features, at least leaving him with the ability to stay air-borne. Penny switched up her weapon's form, turning the swords into energy blasters, and she rose up, focusing all of her might, as her shadow eclipsed with the moon, forming her shape plus a circle of guns high above.

"Well I AM!" She lowered her hand, and each gun individually started to shoot at Ironwood, creating a barrage of green energy shots, that flared up the entire battlefield. The general, whose vision was boosted from the dust, saw through her attack, and moved through the many shots like moving through raindrops, getting closer and closer to Penny. She, however, saw it coming this time, and just as he got too close, she grabbed his hand, and started to channel her power through him, in an attempts to short circuit his robotic half. Alas, Ironwood's body was well equipped to deal with such threats, and he managed to overpower Penny, grabbing her with both his hands, and crashing down towards the floor, coming to slam her through the rubble below. She tried to struggle out of his grip, but even with her mechanical body, Ironwood managed to retain the upper hand.

"Penny!" Ruby called from below. Her interference gave her and the rest of her team a wee bit of time to regain some of their auras, and Ruby ran towards their direction, using her semblance to accelerate herself. Before Ironwood came to the floor, she flared her silver eyes, fueling her with as much strength as she could, and right at the last moment, and jabbed Crescent Rose against the falling general, pushing him more horizontally, and lessening the impact from the fall, just enough to allow Penny to release herself away from his grip, and join up with team RWBY.

"Penny! What are you doing here?!" Ruby yelled towards her. She was afraid this could have been it, and Ironwood could have used some trick to knock her out and reprogram her.

"Don't worry, Ruby. I won't let anyone control me like this, ever again! This time, I'll protect YOU!" Yang looked, and saw Penny aura, and soul, filled with iron-clad resolve. She had no idea how, but through sheer determination, Penny managed to steel herself against outside tempering.

"Yeah." Weiss called back. She managed to sympathize with the robot, and somewhere in her now opened heart, she realized Penny and her and both kindred souls, to some degree, and while Penny's struggle was against physical programming, Weiss' was against her own lineage. And yet, in the end, each of them came pulled through, and stood tall, free at last from the shackles of fate and morality. Before any of them could talk any further, though, Ironwood staggered up, and built up his semblance, prepared for another command.

"FALL!" She shouted, the dust in his body only amplifying his power, and now, even Weiss found it had to resist him command. Unlike them, however, Penny still stood up, as though nothing happened.

"FAL-" He tried to shout again, this time to cower Penny, but before she could finish his command, she dashed at him, wielding her blades, and engaged the general in single combat once again, spinning her weapons all over the arena, coming at Ironwood from almost all possible directions. Each of her swords did little to him alone, but over time, Penny managed to rack up the damages, and Ironwood realized if he didn't do anything soon, she was going to overpower him. He focused his aura at the tip of his palm, and bashed it at Penny, who blocked with her own hand.

"What right so you have to resist my commands?!" He shouted. He became angrier and angrier as the fight went on, without even noticing. "You were made as a weapon! A tool against the grimm! That was your purpose, and yet, you still deny it!"

"Because my father built me to be alive!" His insults drove Penny's circuits even further, and she started to overclock her own body, building up heat. "He made me so that I could be with the others! YOU wanted me to be a weapon!"

"I wanted you to protect and serve!" He shouted back, and broke up the standoff, jumping away. True, he used his semblance in order to convince Penny's father to give her combat features, but as he looked into his own past, Ironwood felt no regret. For his semblance to affect other people, he needed to be one hundred percent sure at everything he did. Even the slightest tinge of doubt could lead to his semblance backfiring, and not working at all. "I made you who you are so that you can serve the world!"

"You made me into what I am so that you could own another tool against your enemies!" She drew her blades and continued to swing at him. Ironwood loaded his pistol, and started to shoot at Penny as well, the two almost dancing to each other's attacks. In his mind, Ironwood still felt the same confidence he developed all those years ago, when he ascended the ranks of the army from a simple grunt, all the way to general.

She was wrong. He did this to protect everyone. To show them he CAN fight the dangers of the world on his own.

"Ozpin is gone!" He called back. "He hasn't shown his face for the entire year since Vale fell! I couldn't just sit and do nothing while the world gets torn apart!" He raised his right hand, and felt his power restored, to some degree, as he opened his mouth and turned to his soldiers.

"KILL THEM! KILL ALL OF THEM!" He pointed at the small group of huntresses, and all of a sudden, a group of soldiers and paladins came at the five, all of those that were close enough to hear Ironwood's command.

"Bring it on!" Yang called, smashing the Dust Celica against her other hand. The soldiers began to shoot at them, but Yang was ready, and blocked with the Dust Celica, absorbing the bits of dust from the bullets. After that, she lowered her hands to the earth, feeling the dust buried deep beneath the earth's crust, and called upon it, drawing as much as she could into the Dust Celica, as brown strands of dust appeared on her crystal arm.

"YAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She raised her fist and slammed it against the earth, razing the ground below her and sending a pulse of pure destruction at the soldiers. Blake took advantage of this, and rode Yang's attack towards the enemy, multiplying and rebuilding her own force. Even though she could make sentient clones now, the process required much more aura out of her, and in her current state, she had to make do with only a handful of them, the rest being automated by manual commands. The clones charged at the Ironwood's forces, some of them wielding Wilt & Blush, some Gambol shroud, and some a combination of the two. Blake herself came at one of the soldiers, and while the soldier tried to stab her with the sharpened tip of his rifle, another copy of herself came in between the two, parrying the attack with its own Wilt & Blush, while Blake herself used it as a platform, and came at the soldier from above, breaking through his helmet, and pushing him over to the floor. A paladin aimed his gun arm at Blake, and prepared to shoot.

"Oh no." Blake turned, but too late. She had no time to react, but just before she could do anything, Weiss jumped from behind her, wielding the knight's blade's full splendor, and with one slice, she cut through the paladin, sending the pieces flying. Weiss then turned to the rest of the atlesian forces, and bellowed with all of her might, letting her heart fill her with the power to keep what she held dear safe. The soldiers kept on shooting at her, and Weiss tuned the blade on its broad side, and guarded herself with it, repelling the bullets, before loading an aqua blue crystal into Myrtenaster, turning her entire armor blue. She swung her blade, and an overwhelming wave erupted from her sword, washing everything in its path, and the soldiers were pushed further.

"What are you doing?!" Ironwood shouted from above, and his soldiers looked at him with blood-crazed eyes. He hoped to avoid abusing his semblance, knowing its effects on such weaker auras, but he needed them to build up more time for him if he wanted to recharge himself fully. He focused his semblance, and ordered the soldiers again, this time drawing the attention of even more of his forces. "KILL. THEM. ALLLLL!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, and almost immediately, the entirety of the soldiers that fought by his side turned extremely violent and vicious. Whatever remnant of humanity that remained within them was gone, and even though he directed his semblance at his own forces exclusively, it appeared that even some of New Vale's students and huntsmen were affected, and the battle accelerated, drawing even more blood.

"What have you done?!" Ruby shouted from below, and she ran towards the ground below him. She bent her legs, focused as much aura as she could into her eyes, and with one powerful motion, she jumped towards Ironwood, using her semblance to hasten herself further into the air. Alas, it was not enough, and Ruby's eyes started to bleed bright whiteness, pushing her body to the limits. In her own mind, she saw her own figure, standing before her, looking almost like something divine. She took a good look at the new image of herself, and embraced the angel within, letting the silver eyes push her further into the air. She wasn't flying, per se, but the speed in which she moved through space sure made it look like it. To Ruby, it seemed like light all around her started to slow down, and she reached speeds she never even imagined reaching before. It tore her body apart almost entirely, but in the end, she managed to reach Ironwood, high up in the air, and she swung Crescent Rose at the general, only leaving a bright, red trail of rose petals and light in her wake, and continued to elevate a little bit further, and looked down at the battlefield below her, as the general, while being hurt, still kept of flying, and he hovered away from her, before she could do this again. Of course, Ruby had no way of moving through the air, her overtaxing of the silver eyes leaving her half paralyzed, and she started to fall to the ground, helpless.

"Ruby!" Yang looked up, and saw her sister's aura, diminished and falling. "Weiss!" She called to her teammate, and pointed towards Ruby, and Weiss prepared a trail of glyphs, which Yang jumped upon, reaching Ruby in the middle of the air, and catching her in time. Yang landed on the ground and started to imbued her aura into Ruby, healing her and revitalizing her, at the cost of Yang's own strength.

"Yang, why?..." Ruby didn't quite understand. If Yang split the remains of her aura with Ruby, that would only result in two half-powered fighters.

"Don't worry about me." Yang finished patching Ruby up, and helped her to her feet. "I won't run out of aura THAT easily." she looked at Ironwood, still in the air, and noticed his aura was beginning to heal up, and she dashed against him, loading a red crystal into the Dust Celica. The general saw her, and aimed his pistol in her direction, configuring it to area control, and he shot spread shells at the dustmaster, covering a huge radius around her, but to Yang, none it mattered. She could how his aura move, in conjunction with his body, and to her, the angle of his hand became apparent, and she rolled around, none of the bullets hitting her, while she charged up her own fireballs, and threw them in his direction. He tried to dodge, but suddenly, he felt something hold him from behind, forcing him to stay put.

"LET GO!" He shouted with the full might of his semblance, having little to no effect on Penny, who refused to dodge. She kept her ground, and held him tight, shielding herself from Yang's attack using his body. The fireball hit, causing both Ironwood and Penny to fall back, and while she wasn't burned like the general, the impact still destabilized her, and Penny fell to the ground, crashing.

"Penny!" Ruby called, and she and her team rushed to Penny's crash site, where they saw her, lying on the floor, hurt. They all looked at her, and she blinked slowly, her systems damaged.

"Penny no..." Ruby sobbed. Yang tried to reach out and heal her, alas; Yang just couldn't muster enough aura to heal her anymore without running out entirely. Even beyond that, while Penny did have an aura, Yang could clearly feel it was not natural, rather artificial. Of course, in the grand scheme of things, Yang didn't think any less of her, and to her Penny was just as alive as anyone else with a soul, although, it did prevent Yang from reaching out to her aura to conjoin it with hers allowing her to heal.

"N-No... I-I can do this..." Penny struggled to move, but her body refused. The impact left her paralyzed, and while Penny could still feel her body, it would not obey her commands and move. She really has reached the exhaustion point, and she keeled out, having no aura left.

"YOU!..." Ruby looked towards Ironwood, and ran at him again, readying her weapon. Her team shortly followed, and the four engaged Ironwood once again, shooting and blasting him from all direction.

"DIE!" He shouted and ran to the ground, breaking everything around him, and sending a shockwave of his own at them. He got up, and pulled another syringe, yet again filled with dust, and injected it into himself filling him with even more power. His movements began to become ferocious, and he lounged at Ruby, punching and kicking, yet still in control. Ruby on her half swung her scythe at him as well, while trying to leave opportunities for her team to kick in.

"NOW!" She shouted and ducked, dodging one of his attacks, leaving Ironwood open. Yang came at him, and delivered a series of punches, sending the general flying, while Weiss ran towards him, and lifted her sword, dropping it abruptly, stopping him in place and crushing him, allowing Blake to surround him with clones, all shooting at him at the same time. He laid there, the dust eating away at his soul, and only one thought passed through his mind.

_I can't give up!... I need to be stronger!..._

His own determination started to fuel him with strength, and slowly, he managed to get up, giving the four huntresses a furious gaze.

"Just give up!" Ruby called to him. "We don't have to kill each other! You can still call all of this off!"

He looked at her, and he couldn't believe his ears. There was not a single moment in Ironwood's entire life where he compromised. Doing so is showing weakness. He felt his own will empower him, and he raised his pistol, spinning the barrel, and unleashing a multitude of shots at the group.

"Never! I can't give up here! If I do, the entire world is as good as dead!" He screamed, and continued his assault, letting himself over up high into the air again. Finally, his inner systems were recharged, and he opened his chest compartment, making his robotic half overload again, charging his beam.

"KEEP THEM BUSY!" He called to his army, and almost all of the soldiers left the fight against New Vale, and gunned for team RWBY's life, forcing the students and huntsmen to go on the defensive, and try and keep them at bay, while some of them still managed to get though, and attack the team directly. The soldiers were easy to handle, but they were running out of time, and if nothing happened soon, Ironwood would finish charging up, and obliterate everything in sight.

* * *

Penny was lying by herself. Her visual sensors were turned off by now, and she could feel her body slowly fade away from her consciousness. She was dying again, and this time, she had a feeling she was not coming back, having no aura to retain her memories and emotions. From the little that she managed to see, Ironwood initiated another system override, and his hand glowed bright red, signaling he was about to fire everything he had at all who stood below him, friend or foe.

 _I have to do something..._ She tried to extract some shred of energy left in her, but nothing happened. She could still feel the dust core in her body function properly, but this time, it wasn't her physical self that was dying. She knew what that felt like from the match against Pyrrha all those months ago.

Now, her very soul was fading away.

 _I can't give up... I have to fight!..._ Penny's mind began to panic, and she held on tight to whatever was left of herself. Little by little, memories of her past began to flow into her mind. Her birth in her father's labs, going to Vale, meeting with Ruby and her friends, the fight with Pyrrha, reuniting with Ruby... All of the memories surrounded her, filling her with love and determination.

_I WON'T GIVE UP!_

Penny felt something move from within her. Something that went beyond her programming, even beyond the personality she built all by herself. It connected to her, and a bit of her aura returned to her, and her grasp on the world of Remnant became stronger and more solid. This new breath of life continued to grow, and Penny looked up at the moon, that shone high above her, and she made a feint smile.

_Yeah! I can do this!_

The primal pulse of life erupted within her, letting Penny regain control of her body.

_They still need me! I can protect them!_

Ironwood's words came back to her mind. He told her she was meant to be a weapon, to protect and serve others, and keep them safe from the creatures of grimm. She mused over the meaning of his words for a brief moment, and it made her realize something.

She could be both person AND a weapon.

The two didn't go against each other. She could still care for her friends while also guarding them against the evils of the world. This hope that she could still do something, even in the face of annihilation, made Penny's body move and vibrate. The blades, lying dormant all around her, began to twitch as well, and she felt herself rise up, with power she didn't even know she had.

"I'm coming!" She dashed towards her friends, having one, last gambit to stop the general. She prepared her blades, dashing through the soldiers that came at Ruby and her team while using her swords to cut through everything in her path. Everything was clear to her now: Even though she was made for war, she had the one thing the other robots of Atlas didn't have.

She had the ability to choose, and right now, she chose to accept her role.

"PENNY?!" The team called in surprise to see her up on her feet. Yang quickly looked into her aura, and saw something amazing: Penny's aura, while still being rather small, flickered with an intensity she had almost never seen before. Penny's soul, while still being it's opaque, white self, managed to burn brightly in Yang's eyes, and she knew that Penny was not going to go down this time, some primal force keeping her alive, allowing her to push on.

"Get out of here! I can take him!" Penny readied all of her swords, transforming them into their gun form, and they formed a circle around her, charging up their combined power to one, massive shot. The green light of her blades gathered until Penny could barely keep it in check, while Ruby and her team created a small parameter around her, keeping Penny safe from the hordes of soldiers and combat droids that came to end them.

"YOU CAN'T STOP ME THIS TIME!" Ironwood called from above. His own personal technology was newer and stronger then Penny's and at least in that aspect, he was bound to overcome her.

"I WILL STILL TRY!" Penny called back and mustered even more power into her weapons. "I HAVE PEOPLE I CARE ABOUT TOO!" Images of her father and her friends flashed through her mind, "AND I WON'T LET YOU HURT THEM ANYMORRRRE!" She couldn't keep in the shot any longer, and the guns unleashed a beam of pure, green energy at Ironwood, who fired his own beam as well, the two clashing in the middle of the way, and the final struggle began for both of them.

Penny felt her body tear apart under the pressure. Still, she pushed on, forcing herself to go beyond her system limits. The guns spun faster and faster, while Ironwood's hand began to glow with lines of dust, as the two beams wrestled for dominance. All the while, Penny's mind was overloaded with what she could only describe as pure adrenaline. Even though her body wasn't even capable of producing the hormone, something else came from the depths of her soul, giving her a rush the kind of which she only dreamed of experiencing. Her skin began to peel under the sheer force of both the beams, revealing the metal behind.

"AAHHHHHHHH!" She screamed, trying to squeeze every last bit of strength left in her systems, until finally, she knew she only had one, final choice if she wanted to win: Her dust core. Amongst the tweaks the Atlas military did on her, she was given an emergency subroutine to divert the energy that kept her many systems functional towards one, concentrated purpose, in most cases powering her weapons. Of course, if she did this, Penny knew there was a good chance there would be some irreversible damages. She looked at Ruby one last time, and for a brief moment, their eyes met each other, and she moved her lips, making Ruby's face twist in shock and pain.

_'I'm sorry.'_

She accessed her dust core, and began to divert the power. She started by turning off the ability to fly, the ability to move, and one by one, her weapons glowed with even more power as her body began to tremble. Penny took a deep breath, an action she did only to emulate a living being, and while barely able to keep herself standing, she unleashed all the energy from her dust core into her beam, increasing its power and width. The more she kept it going, the more her beam managed to overpower Ironwood's and he watched in horror, as Penny's green blast came closer and closet towards him, and he pushed on even harder, outputting everything he had into his own attack, but it just wasn't enough.

Ironwood was consumed with Penny's pure energy blast, and he fell to the floor, motionless.

* * *

Somehow, a glint of power was left in Penny's body. All around her, the chaos stopped, the soldiers halting and retreating the moment the general was defeated. She limped towards him, across a battlefield filled with blood and the bodies of both sides, a single blade in her hand, while the rest of them were too tired to even lift a finger. Penny stood above ironwood, and he looked at her, completely powerless, as she rose her sword to the air.

"Do it." He decreed. "I can't face the world after this. I'd rather die then lose everything."

Penny didn't say anything. Whatever routines left in her barely gave her the ability to move her face, and she stared at him with cold, almost lifeless eyes, still holding the blade in the air. So many thoughts passed through her mind in that single, almost infinite moment, that Penny's now damaged perception of time almost made her believe she was standing there for years now. In her mind, the only thing left was one, basic desire to end this war, and she knew killing Ironwood would do just that. However, a tiny part of herself still didn't want to kill. Something in her screamed at her that killing him won't solve anything, and that she should spare him, and give the general a second chance.

"What are you waiting for? Kill me." He asked her again, and her hands began to tremble and shake violently both resisting and attempting to finish the job. Ironwood, seeing her uncertainty, gathered whatever aura he had left into one, final use of his semblance. He looked at Penny, and saw her face almost crying, even though no tears could be shed.

"KILL ME!" He yelled, blocking out every last speck of noise that could have been heard around them. While it was pointless, Penny not being affected by his semblance, she made the choice. Penny opened her mouth, and attempted to scream, her damaged voice module not making a sound, as she lowered her Blade, piercing through Ironwood's flesh and reaching his heart, tearing it in half.

"Tha..nk... Y-You..." Blood began to go out of his mouth, as his eyes turned cold. He could feel his aura diminish completely, and soon, he laid on the floor, motionless, and dead.

Penny didn't even know what to do with herself anymore. Still holding on to a speck of life somehow, she felt the strength leave her body, and she fell to the floor, looking at the night sky, as everyone else stared as well, faces filled with fear and trauma.

They all looked, as the moon of Remnant began to shatter further, until finally breaking apart, and crumbling to bits.

None of them knew what to do next. The shattered moon of Remnant, or at least what's left of it, was now completely dim, leaving the night sky completely dark. Both the huntsmen and the soldiers began to panic, the people falling into a state of chaos, and for a short while, no one knew what to do.

"Impossible..." Yang looked absolutely horrified. So far, the moon was one of the only things that appeared to her twice in her vision twofold. The moon always radiated a certain aura of its own, keeping watch over the people of Remnant. But now it was gone, possibly forever, the night already felt alien to Yang, and more hostile.

"LISTEN!" Ruby's voice echoed through the darkness. People with light sources pointed to her, and Ruby stood tall, looking at all of them, keeping a brave face.

"Today is a tragedy." She started. "Like the great war before this, we tore a deep wound into mankind, and now, we can no longer rely on the moon to show us the way through the darkness!" Her ability to speak to crowds increased by quite a large margin ever since she had to act as an angel. "However, that does NOT mean we can lose our hopes!" Yang looked and saw her sister's soul burn with a mature sense to it.

"We can get through this, if we believe in each other, and stop fighting amongst ourselves!" She continued, and one by one, the auras of those around Yang began to lighten up, brightening the entire scene for her. "But before we do this, I have to finish one, last, thing." She lowered her voice and dropped the act.

"My name is Ruby Rose, and I am not the divine being you call the angel."

Faces of shock began to form on the faces of the huntsmen of New Vale. Even some of the soldiers, who heard the rumors from the robotics division, became astonished.

"Please understand! Yes, I am special! Yes, I have the power of the silver eyes! But you mustn't rely solely on me! One soul alone won't be able to slay the grimm! So please!" She took a short pause, to think about her words properly, before opening her mouth.

"I can only show you the path, but in the end, it is up to each and every one of you to walk it, on your own."

They all stood there and stared at her. Little by little, Yang could see how their inner flame flickered. Things were unclear at the moment, that much was sure, but when she looked at Ruby, she saw an almost endless well of hope and love.

"Yeah." She added, and stood by Ruby's side. "Even now, we can't give in! We still have the power to take our lives in any way we want, and moon or no, this is never going to change! This world is too beautiful to go to ruin!"

"That's right!" Blake jumped as well. "Today, each of us learned that even when things look bleak, it's never too late to change! We made it past Cinder, past the grimm dragon! And we will prevail again, even now!"

Weiss stood beside them too, taking her place next to Ruby. She tried to think about something inspiring to say as well, but alas, nothing came to mind. Those who looked at her face, however, saw an entirely different picture: She was there, in both body and soul. Weiss was no longer afraid of what she harbored deep within, and now, her desire to have Ruby was only amplified with love that filled every single part of her being. It was still odd for her, but it was clear that nothing barred the path into her heart anymore.

They all stared at the vacant sky, bravery starting to rise within them, as they looked towards the future, and what it had in store.

* * *

Meanwhile, in places unknown...

Salem stood at her altar, and the image that unfurled before her blackened eyes managed to raise a tiny, crooked smile on her face. Of course, she was not capable of emotion, and yet, the sight of the accursed moon, which stood as a beacon of humanity in her darkness, slowly broke down, and the light turning dim, until finally darkening completely. The grimm reveling around the grounds below her viewpoint only became wilder and more ferocious, as she mused over humanity's blackest moment. Behind her, a pool of darkness started to form, and from within it, her first sentient grimm, clad in its armor, manifested.

"The four have reached their peak." It spoke.

"And yet, only now, on the very edge of the end." Salem turned to where the moon used to be, and the world of Remnant, and all the auras within it, appeared before her eyes.

The ancient one seemed to have completed her transformation, now standing far brighter above its brethren, just as bright as Salem remembered them in their past.

The silver eyed one managed to break the shackles humanity managed to put on her, and now, she stood awakened and complete, her resolve shining brilliant white in Salem's eyes, much to her revulsion.

The forsaken's aura seemed to have grown in number, several images of the same entity danced around the same place, sharing the body. It amused her, to see such a loathsome creature develop powers such as these.

And the child that managed to escape the chains of fate stood tall, her soul and body moving in complete, calculated unison. Her soul intrigued Salem, but only for a brief, fleeting moment. In the end, she was, like the others, a light to be snuffed out.

"How pathetic, Ozpin." She mused to herself. "It seems your plans have failed, even you, and now, I claim the night as my own once again." Her plan worked perfectly. Allowing the humans to fight amongst themselves finally brought an advancement in a war she had been waging for millennia against them.

Salem felt more power return to her. No longer being oppressed by the moon's presence, she stretched her arm, and it transformed right before her eyes, becoming a wriggling mess of eldritch monstrosities and black sludge and ooze. This was a sign that at last, she was almost whole again.

"Alas, Ozpin, the chain is broken. And now, I finally reclaim everything." Salem felt her former self return, and yet, some of the key pieces were still missing. She closed her eyes and called with wordless thoughts, and a crimson rip in space tore itself apart, through it entering the assassin she groomed just for this single purpose. Her new mask gleamed in the crystals that surrounded her's light, and Raven kneeled, revealing a long, black line of grime all over her abdomen.

"The time has come." Salem turned to her. "Find the last missing pieces, bring their essence to me." Salem made another mental gesture, and three small grimm insects wriggled towards the assassin, and burrowed their way through her skin. Raven would have twitched in pain, but she was no longer capable of feeling any of it, her soul permanently removed from her body. Once they planted themselves inside of her, She took her sword, and sliced through space heading out to find her first kill.

"Keep an eye on her." She ordered the grimm knight, and it bowed, dissipating back into the darkness.

Salem returned to look at the mindless grimm, tearing and consuming each other, as the crooked smile once again formed on her face.

This time, the endgame is nigh.

ACT II: Flicker- Complete


	48. Intermission 5: Taking The Mantle

It was an early spring morning. The sun, rising from its horizon, shone over the edges of New Vale, and people were starting to wake up slowly. Now, that the war was finally over, and New Vale was cemented as a kingdom of its own, its people could focus more on rebuilding and healing, rather than warfare. While many were still asleep, at the office floor of the CCT tower in Beacon, a group of certain individuals were in a heated meeting, along with a group of people on screens before them.

"So, the war is officially over; I take it?" Asked one of them, an old man, who looked like this whole meeting was completely cutting into his sleeping hours. As the current head of Vacuo's council, he had plenty of other meeting planned out for the day, and yet, he had been summoned for this, not two days after the war ended.

"Yes," Glynda answered, looking grim. "And true, while the fighting with Atlas has ceased, there are still two, major problems we have to address."

"Which ARE?" Asked the other man on the screen. The crooked, thin man, who led the council of Mistral. He was smoking at the moment what appeared to look like a fat, loaded cigar, and if it were up to him, he would've choked the others in New Vale for cutting into his 'private business' time, causing him to lose some very important potential connections on Remnant.

"The first, and more grievous, yet less immediate one, is the disappearance of the moon." Glynda started. "We have no idea as to how or why it crumbled now of all times, and as you two have probably noticed soon after, the grimm had become more active as of late, and we need, at least eventually, to find out what happened, and what are the effect this cataclysm would have on the people of Remnant." The moon stood high above mankind for as long as history can recall. At the great color war, the first ever lunar fracture was recorded, and it cracked, a part of it broken off. Glynda hoped this one, being on a relatively smaller scale, won't trigger another collapse, and yet, Remnant's skies stood empty now.

"The second, and the one that requires a much more short term solution, is Atlas' empty seat." Now that general Ironwood was dead, things have changed in Atlas. An honorary funeral was already under planning for the man, but alas, Atlas' throne now lies vacant, and while on regular circumstances they would let elections take place, there were just no proper candidates at the moment in the kingdom, as its army was in tatters over the loss. While the people there won't pay much attention to it at the moment, Glynda, and with her the other leaders of the two kingdoms, knew that a new leader must rise in Atlas, and rise fast. Without one, Atlas would only devolve into power struggles and infighting, which would draw out the now ever wilder grimm, tearing the kingdom asunder, and this time for good.

"Well, it has to be someone who the people already know." vacuo's leader suggested. "Someone with a good appearance... That the people could trust."

"Oh yeah?" Qrow stepped up, and looked at him skeptically. "And who do you propose? Should I remind you of the reason our dear friend Ironwood was so popular in the get go?"

The man silenced, and closed his eyes, thinking. Ironwood was very careful when it came up to his semblance, and somehow, through rigorous methods, he managed to keep it a secret from the people around him, including the former leader of Mantle, before of its rebranding. In all honestly, Ironwood was never truly registered as a huntsmen, but rather began his career as a simple soldier in the army, before moving up the ranks rather quickly, likely thanks to his semblance-boosted charisma, until only applying for an huntsmen title in name only much later in his life, and while he never hid that detail from the rest, he made sure any of his official stats never included anything about his own special power, only deferring to the fact that as a simple soldier, he was never given the option to discover his latent potential. Of course, in hindsight, this was a blatant lie, but nevertheless, Qrow was right, and finding a suitable replacement was going to be tough for Ironwood.

"Well? Anyone on your mind?" Qrow asked impatiently. His years of stalking Salem's plans and living undercover has taught him that patience, while a virtue, was not always welcomed. Right now, they needed to act, not think.

"Hmm..." Mistral's leader joined the conversation. "What about someone else from the army? Someone close to Ironwood?"

"Who, exactly?" Qrow came to turn down his suggestion as well. "Anyone even remotely close to Ironwood at the moment would be beating the shit out of each other, trying to either take the leader's seat, or keep it for someone that they know could carry on James' legacy."

They all fell silent, trying to figure out what the hell to do. Oobleck came to open his mouth, but one glance from Qrow told him it was clear that any idea he might bring up at the moment would only be met with stern disagreement, and so, he opted not to say anything, until he can come up with a plausible explanation for his suggestion.

As they sat there, thinking, the elevator to the office started to come up, and the noise got Glynda's attention. She looked, only to see Winter, coming up, carrying a tray of coffee mugs for the people in the room. By now, Winter had become

"You're late." Glynda turned to her, and grabbed one of the karmic mugs that Winter brought with her, sipping the hot liquid. Winter gave Qrow and Oobleck a mug as well, and sat down next to them, taking her own as well, as she listened to the silence in the room for a moment, before deciding to talk.

"My apologies," Winter said. "I was a little caught up with the coffee machine in the teacher's lounge, and me and Yang tried to figure out what was wrong with it." Shortly after the war ended, and it was clear that life could go on, Yang turned to Glynda and asked her to resume being a teacher in Beacon, at least for now. "Eventually, we figured something out, so I came here as soon as I could."

"Fair enough." Qrow took a large sip of the coffee, looked at it for a moment, then pulled his flask, and poured some of its contents into the mug. He took another sip, made a sour face, but nonetheless, drank on. "Man, this coffee is shit..." Winter gave a prissy face, which made Qrow chuckle slightly.

"How can you even laugh at times like these?" Glynda couldn't help but be a little angry with his attitude. "It's like this whole war never even happened for you." Glynda couldn't stand it. While she was still heartbroken about the many deaths of students in this ordeal, Qrow just made witty remarks and drank whatever was in his flask, like it was an entirely regular day. "And to think, a few days ago you were one of the most serious people in the room."

"Well Glynda," Qrow put his cup down and looked at her, his face turning serious in an instant. "If there is one thing I've ever learned in my life that was important, is that death happens, and there is no point in wallowing in it forever." Glynda could feel her anger go out of control, before Qrow noticed her rage, and continued. "Look, I'm not saying that we should not mourn them at all, just that we can't lose ourselves to the past. Whatever happens, you just keep on going."

Glynda wasn't surprised to hear Qrow saying things like that, and yet, while on the surface level he was right, she couldn't find it in her heart to wholly agree. To her, each student lost was a life she was responsible for, and as far as Glynda was concerned, their blood was just as much on her hands. "Well, I guess we'll have to discuss this at a later time." She concluded their small scuffle. "Right now, we have more pressing matters on our hands."

"Sure, whatever you say." Qrow grinned faintly, and the group went back to their silent pondering. The leaders of the other kingdoms sat in their offices as well, trying to figure out what to do, and for the past fifteen minutes, not a single word was uttered by any of them.

Suddenly, Mistrals leader rose his head. Glynda, noticing this, looked at him, and the attention was turned over to the thin man.

"You have something?" Qrow asked him, preparing to shoot down yet another ridiculous idea.

"What about HER?" He pointed through the screen, and they followed his finger, until they noticed who it landed on.

"Me?" Winter looked at them, a little flustered. She was banned from Atlas, not only for her defection, but for fighting against them. "There's no possible way that they would ever accept me as their new sovereign!" As she said those words, she started to think about it. Ironwood never really announced her defection, rather keeping it a military secret. In fact, the whole reason that she was exiled in the first place was to please her father, while the populace was told she volunteered to go to Vale, to help fight against the grimm.

"Really? Winter?" Qrow looked at him like he was crazy. "You, DO know she just done helped us fight Atlas, right? I want to see the army accept her as the new head of the council there."

"Well, think about it." Mistral's leader began. "First of all, only a handful of people in Atlas actually KNOW she was exiled, right?" He turned to her, and Winter nodded in agreement. "Plus, even within the army, I doubt James really told all of them all the details about what happened. If his semblance works how we assume it did, he didn't really have to say anything of the sort to inspire the men. All he needed what a simple, direct, speech." Winter's thoughts turned to her days in the academy again. Every time the general would speak in the academy itself, she always remembered feeling so strong, and faithful in him. It was sad for her to admit, but in a way, there was a good possibility that most of her enthusiasm came from him affecting her and the others that would become specialists with his power. She wanted to regress and repress the thought, but Winter couldn't ignore the possibility, especially when she thought about her actions and decisions when she was away from Ironwood, where his voice couldn't reach her.

"Hmm..." Oobleck opened his mouth in agreement. "I wouldn't overrule this as an option. It all depends on how we present her."

"Don't I get a say in this?" Winter interjected. "I think that if you want ME to be in James' seat, I would at LEAST be given the option to refuse."

"First of all, let's see if it's even plausible." Qrow turned to her, and sank deep into thought.

"Well, in my opinion, I wouldn't disagree." Vacuo's leader spoke up. "I've only met your briefly, Ms. Schnee, but I would call a trustworthy woman. I'm sure the people of Atlas won't have much trouble accepting you as the new head member of their council."

"The problem doesn't lie with the citizens, but with the army." Winter explained. "Sure, theoretically, if I wanted to go through with this, convincing the citizens wouldn't be hard. The trouble comes when I'll have to address the military. Even if they don't know the truth, I assume most of them see me as an enemy of the state at the moment, with rumors circulating about."

"But will you do it?" Glynda finally asked her.

"..." Winter considered her options. If she stayed in Vale, she could be with her sister, and live a relatively quiet life, which would be nice. But every time she wanted to juts renounce Atlas completely, a small part of her kept it's loyalties to the kingdom. Sure, she was exiled from it, but in a sense, it was still her home, and the army, her family. Now, even, Weiss began to fully recover from their father's treatment of her, and Winter believed that perhaps, Weiss won't need her close anymore. "...Yes. I would." In the end, Winter knew that the safety of the entire world was more important than her own personal life. Of course, she had no intention of keeping the old, military regime over Atlas, but still, something had to be done.

"Still, we need SOMEONE that could convince the soldiers and others in the army that you're the right choice for the role..." Qrow spoke, and almost immediately after his eyes widened up, and he jumped from his seat. "I think I have it!"

"What? Who?" Glynda and the others were confused.

A few seconds later, Oobleck figured out his idea, and jumped as well. "Yes! Of course! With her influence, she is perfect for the role of the escort!"

"But WHO?" Glynda asked again.

"I'm surprised you don't see it yet, Glynda." Oobleck looked at her. "Just think: Who do we have here that has a certain influence on the people around her, and is no longer afraid of using said influence."

"...Oh." The mystery person's identity dawned of Glynda. Now that she thought about it, it was kind of obvious in hindsight.

"Ruby."

* * *

"You want me to do WHAT?" Ruby raised an eyebrow. She was summoned to Glynda's office, for reasons unknown to her, only to be seated in front of the current council of New Vale. Weiss, of course, followed her, and this time, was not barred from entrance to this meeting, and Winter looked at her, a little worried.

"Look, we have no other choice." Qrow tried to explain. "The way things are, Atlas might go to shit like Vale did last year if no leader was to appear and take his place. Winter is a good choice, but we have a feeling that the majority won't support her, so, you tell me: Whose better at convincing people then the now renowned 'Angel of Remnant'?" Thanks to the internet, Ruby's little speech at the end of the war was made viral almost instantly. By now, she had a sort of celebrity status, and while trying not to make a big deal about the matter and stay humble, Ruby couldn't help but notice that when she walked the streets, people would look at her differently. She didn't matter though. If that's what the people of Remnant needed in times like this to stay hopeful, that's exactly what she was going to be.

"Well..." Ruby considered it. "I'll go. But only if the others on my team are coming with me. I won't do this alone."

"Fair enough, I guess." Qrow nodded. "Guys? Any objections?"

"Not on my end." Glynda agreed.

"I don't see why not." Oobleck joined her.

"..." Winter didn't say anything. She just looked at Weiss, who stared at her back, and they just went on, looking into each other's eyes.

"Winter?" Glynda turned to her, snapping Winter from her small trance.

"Oh, Uh... Yes. I'm fine with it as well." She mumbled. So far, Weiss hadn't said anything about her leaving for Atlas again, and Winter was beginning to worry she might be upset with her again.

"Then it's settled, then." Glynda concluded. "Ruby, please inform your teammates about the situation, but other than that, please keep a lid on it. I'll give you a few days time to pack up with whatever you girls might need, and once everything is set, we'll depart for Atlas."

"We should make it there to James' funeral." Qrow added. "If they see that Winter had returned to be there for the general especially, it might turn some of the soldier's opinions on her around. Don't forget; we need as much positive publicity as we can."

"Okay." Ruby gave them a small smile, and the two huntresses headed out to the elevator. If they wanted Ruby to talk to the people, she figured she should prepare some speech of her own, just in case. "Hey Weiss, want to come help me come up with some words for the speech?" Ruby was well adept by now at coming up with inspirational words, but it was always nice to have some second opinions.

"...No thanks. I have something to take care of, so I'll see you tonight, okay?" Weiss turned her face towards Ruby's, and she could see that Weiss had something serious on her mind.

"Fine, I'll see you later then." Ruby gave her a small peck on the lips and grinned as she used her semblance to head out alone to the library, leaving a trail of rose petals in her wake.

* * *

Winter was sitting in the dorm room she had in Beacon, thinking about what had just transpired. In the span of a single day, she had just accepted going back to Atlas, and becoming head of the council there, effectively becoming the kingdom's leader. While she understood the dire situation Atlas was in, and that this role was needed of her, Winter still had her doubts.

A small knock was heard on her door. "May I come in?" Weiss' voice came from the other side. Winter paused for a second. She knew this was coming. It was bound to.

"Yes, please." The door opened, and a slightly agitated Weiss stood at the entrance. Winter looked at her again, and saw that her face wasn't as cold as it used to be. In a way, Weiss' face had more concern in it then anger at her. "Is there something you need to talk to me about?"

"Cut the crap, Winter." Weiss started, cutting straight to the chase. "I'll be honest: I'm a little upset with you. However, I do understand your position, and I expect we should still be able to at least keep in touch." Winter felt a wave of relief washing over her heart hearing Weiss say that. "There is, however, one MAJOR problem we need to prepare."

"Our father." Winter deduced. If she and Weiss came back to Atlas, with the current plans they had in mind, even if the people and most of the military were supportive of her, their father still had his finger in everyone's pie. To his, putting up problems for the future leader of Atlas was a trivial thing, and with enough pressure, he might even be capable of dethroning her completely. "So," Winter's face became serious. "What do you propose?"

"I assume he won't take the news lightly." Weiss used her iron-clad logic. "The most likely chain of events is that he will. like the others, be surprised by your declaration, and soon after, try and plot a way to kick you out, only increasing his efforts with every passing day, until finally you snap under the pressure." Weiss' conclusion were not the brightest ones, but her logic was sound. "If we want to counteract this, we'll have to strike him first, before he gets the chance to retaliate."

"No." Winter objected. "I won't let you hurt someone just on mere speculations, however plausible they may be. Attacking him is not the option."

"Then we prepare for the worst," Weiss suggested. "And at the first hint of any action from him, we strike back."

Winter nodded in agreement.

"Then now, all we have left is to prepare..." Weiss turned to the door, and left.

* * *

Finally, the day of departure had come, and team RWBY, dressed in the fanciest clothing Weiss could find in the shops that New Vale had at the moment, went on the hovercraft, along with Glynda and Winter. It was decided that from New Vale's council a representative was in order, and they set off, heading towards Atlas' borders. Thanks to Ironwood's demise and Ruby's new status, getting through customs was not much trouble, and they managed to get into Atlas, and it's chrome, futuristic look.

"Man, I always forget how pretty it is here..." Ruby pondered out loud while walking the clean streets.

"Well, we could tour the city later." Weiss told her, her hand firmly on Myrtenaster's hilt. "Right now, we have more important matters to attend to, and you need to be ready."

"Right." Ruby redoubled her resolve, and looked around her, to get a feel for the people she was going to talk to.

All around them, on the walls or sign posts, pictures of Ironwood were hung everywhere, and Yang could clearly sense that the atmosphere around them was damp, at best. Besides that, while some of the people they passed by looked at Ruby with the awe she was familiar with, many others looked at her with scorn and spite. It was inevitable that not everyone was going to follow her, and Winter as well for that matter, who seemed to get the same treatment from her surroundings, in particular the soldiers roaming the city. They reached a small hotel, paid for in advance, and prepared for the funeral; that was scheduled in two days from then. By now, most of the groundwork had been covered by Glynda and Qrow, who, with the help of the other kingdoms, presented the current council members of Atlas with a simple choice: Either accept defeat and pay the consequences of starting a war with another kingdom, or listen to their very simple demand, and let them as a group decide who shall be the next to take Ironwood's place, though, for them the decision was already made, and Winter was well introduced in advance for the council members. By now, most of the paperwork was already finished, and the last thing left was make the official announcement and set the facts. In a bizarre twist, Atlas' part-totalitarian government only made it easier for them to pass things through, since James was always one to take the burdens and decisions on himself, leaving the council of Atlas sort of powerless to stop them.

"So, just to reiterate: I get why we came to Atlas, but why were we told to bring our weapons? You know, besides me." Yang had to know. She got the part about giving Ruby some support, but other than that, coming armed to the teeth seemed like a bad plan if their intentions were on looking trustworthy.

"We have some suspicions that a certain someone might try and interfere with the speech, or at least, do something shortly after that," Weiss explained, dropping a very heavy hint. "And we are NOT going to be caught unawares."

"Weiss is right," Winter added. "We need to be careful." Weiss had become de facto head of security for Winter, even going as far as to try and obtain as much information as she could the moment they entered Atlas about where the funeral was going to take place, so that she could set up watch spots for the team. Ruby gave her a quick look, and for a moment, Weiss seemed a little happy about helping her sister, which made Ruby smile as well.

"Well, whatever happens, I'm sure we can deal with it as a team." Blake noted. She looked at her teammates, walking next to her. Over time, each of them had become relatively strong, and they quickly managed to outmatch the huntsmen of their skill level, with the exception of Jaune.

"That's my Blakey!" Yang hugged her from the side, they moved on, waiting for the big day.

* * *

"Ladies and gentlemen." Winter began her speech. Next to her, Ruby stood, puffing her chest and looking as official as she could, followed by Glynda. The entire thing was broadcast throughout all of Atlas, and so far into the funeral, no had been too upset or angry with Winter's presence.

"I have come here, on this sad day, to share your pain and grief over the loss of our beloved general." Some of the people raised an eyebrow, and looked at Ruby.

"And, as much as I am saddened over his passing in the war, I'd like to share my experiences with the great man, all the way to his very end." After all, Winter was there, looking at the very end with everyone else.

"James Ironwood was always an extraordinary man in my eyes. Ever since I've met him, all those years ago in Atlas Academy, I knew from the start that he was a man of great power and justice. He always strove to do what was the very best for the people, " She paused for a tiny bit, and looked at the papers that were put before her. "Even in sometimes he could be a little stubborn."

Meanwhile in the shadows, three figures moved through the funeral. Most of the people wouldn't be able to notice them, but to Ruby's well-trained eyes, the silhouettes of her teammates were as clear as day.

"Ruby, do you read?" Weiss' voice was heard over the small earpiece in Ruby's ear.

"Something's up?" Ruby whispered and her face turned stern for a brief moment, before she snapped out of it, and returned to her angelic visage. She couldn't let the people see her like this.

"We had a live feed that something suspicious is going through the reception hall. So far, we can't confirm who or what it is, but if I'm right, we need to wait for _him_ to strike first. Then, and only then, may you pull out your weapon."

"Roger."

Ruby turned her attention to Winter and the crowd, and narrowed her eyes a bit. The funeral hall was a grand place, decorated with many army symbols, and held beneath a glass ceiling, letting the sunshine enter the room.

"...and the next thing you, the entire battalion of grimm explodes..." Winter droned on and on, recounting many of her life experiences with Ironwood. When she finished that last tale, she silenced herself, and raised her head from the paper, looking at the crowd.

"However," Her voice was filled with sadness as well by now. "I want you all to know, that general Ironwood died the way he lived: Without regrets. Without fear. Without Doubts." Winter's eyes flared up, and she looked at the crowd. "THAT, is how I believe Atlas MUST go on. Yes, we lost a great man today, and yet, even in his passing, Ironwood took back nothing. At a kingdom, each of us must strive to look towards the future with a brave face, and never give up our hopes, and dreams!" Winter's voice started to rise in enthusiasm. Sure, she didn't have Ironwood's semblance, but she did hear him talk to crowds all the time, and like Ruby, her people skills were top notch. Finally, it was time to move to the announcement.

"And thus, with the help of the other kingdoms, the council of Atlas has decided to appoint ME, Winter Schnee, as the new head to Atlas' council, with the hopes that my personal experiences with the general would help me create a newer, BETTER Atlas, for all of us!" Her stance had become early similar to Ironwood's at this point, and she stood tall, looking as promising as she could. At first, the crowd just sat there, silent. Soon, a single man started to clap his hands, and others gradually joined him, until the entire place was filled with loud claps from all around. There were, however, a few murderous glares aimed at her as well, and now, it was time for Ruby to take the stand.

"And, now, I would like to introduce an extraordinary girl, who almost single-handedly managed to restore our," and closed her eyes for a moment. "And my, hopes in the world, after the moon's fall. Please, come up, Ruby Rose, Remnant's Angel!" The claps subsided, and Ruby, dressed in a very fancy, white dress, took the stand, and got close to the microphone.

"People of Atlas." She began. "This was has been a rough and grueling time, on all of us. General Ironwood fought for his beliefs, and even though we beat him, I feel no joy in my heart from having to do so. Truly, he was a man of many words and acts, and for what it's worth, I regret having to fight him." The crowd started to glare at her, and Ruby pushed on, unhindered.

"To know, that in the end, his passing brought this new age upon us, is both heartening and frightening to me. Now, as we look towards the future, we must never forget the giants on which we stood in order to get here." Her calm demeanor starter to win people over, and soon, many of the stares calmed down.

"I know, that is hard to lose someone dear to you." Ruby looked up to the sky. "But I also know, that they keep watch over us, at all times, making sure we are safe from above. And s-"

"Ruby look out!" Yang's voice banged in her ears, and she jumped to the side, as a shot of pure fire missed her face, scorching the wall behind her. In the doorway, a tall, furious-looking man with white hair stood, wielding an larger version of Myrtenaster. He loaded his blade again, and this time, aimed at Winter, who didn't have any weapon on her. He shot an icy blast at his own daughter, and Ruby snapped in between the two, silver eyes glaring, and she blocked the shot with Crescent Rose. Yang, Blake and Weiss all jumped from the sidelines, and prepared for combat, as the crowds began to panic.

"Go! Get out of here!" Glynda called to them. "Everyone! Follow me!" She ran towards the door, and held it open, letting the civilians out, and she and Winter followed them, leaving team RWBY to deal with papa Schnee.

"You..." Weiss gritted her teeth and prepared her weapon. "I figured you'd send an assassin or something similar. Coming here yourself, however, was a bold choice."

"I never leave the real dirty work for others." Her father replied, and reloaded. "That's how I've always done things."

"You three. Leave." Weiss ordered the rest. "Keep the others safe just in case. I'll deal with this one."

"Got it!" The spread out, and darted through the door, leaving Weiss and the assailant alone, as she summoned her armor, and let it fill her with power.

"Really? That again?" Her father leered at her. "I would've expected no less from a failure."

"Then you clearly know not what I am capable of." Weiss reconnected with her heart, and let her bravery take hold, as the blade enlarged into its full size. "I won't need less than a minute to wipe the floor with you!" She dashed at him, and before he even managed to summon his own ursa, she swung at him, injuring her father, and knocking him to the floor.

"Why come here? Why alone like this?" She looked at his scarred face, and saw it was filled with contempt and rage. "Funny," She continued. "That for someone so cold and calculating, you were consumed by emotion so easily."

"SILENCE!" Her father tried to jump back up, and stab her, but at this point, Weiss was just too strong on her own, and she deflected her father's attack with ease, sending his blade to the side each time.

"I've seen enough." Weiss sighed, and loaded her own crystal into Myrtenaster, filling the entire armor with vibrant, purple color. She stabbed the ground with her blade, and an instance gravitational field manifested, pulling him to the ground. She approached him, and lifted her blade, her face unmoving. He tried to struggle out of it, but Weiss' stunt left him completely unable to move, and he looked at her furiously.

"Come on!" He shouted. "Do it! Kill me!" She looked at him, and after a long pause, she turned of armor off, including the gravity field, and went towards the door, sparing him.

"SERIOUSLY?!" He yelled. "After all this time, and you are still so weak as to not being able to k-" The moment he came to say that word, Weiss was already inches away from him, her sword pointed at this throat.

"I. CAN. Kill. You." Weiss let a moment to fury appear on her face. "However, I choose not to."

"And why would that be?" He retorted.

"Because," she retreated her blade, and turned back. "Killing you would be the mercy here. You may have your costumers, and your business, but now, you are truly, and UTTERLY, alone."

She left the room, and went to regroup with her girlfriend and teammates, leaving her father all alone in the room, as he realized what had just befallen his fate.


	49. Intermission 6: The Surprise

It was a slow day for Ruby.

She woke up in the dorm room, Weiss still sleeping next to her, with Yang already gone, having the time to go back to her favorite morning routine, ending in her meditation session. Blake was up and about as well, it would seem, and Ruby figured there was no point in dwelling over the whereabouts of the two. Lately, Weiss stopped clutching Ruby so tightly when she slept, allowing Ruby to get out of bed without being noticed, and she went ahead to prepare for the day, heading for the showers. The pipage system wasn't entirely fixed in Beacon just yet, forcing Ruby to forego bathing in the private showers in their dorm, and going to the communal baths on the ground floor of the dormitory. As she walked through the halls, everyone around her, both young and old, gave her a very pleased look, and Ruby, for the lack of a given reason, had no idea why. Sure, the war was over, but their faces were way too happy, even for that.

She got in the showers, and noticed that there not that many girls there at the moment, though Ruby couldn't care either way. It was less convenient, for sure, but nonetheless, she started to undress, and stood beneath one of the shower heads, and let the water wash her troubles away.

 _Now that I think about it..._ Ruby let the thoughts flow in the tranquility of the shower, and if she was alone, she might have begun to hum a little. _Was there something important today?..._ For some reason, a distant memory told her she had something important to do that day, but for the life of her, Ruby just couldn't figure out what it was. She tried to remember, but lately, especially after the war, memories became even more distanced in her mind, so much so that the day she enrolled in Beacon felt like it was tens of years ago. After a brief moment of trying to jog her memory into giving her the details and failing, she decided there was no point in dwelling on the past, and finished up the shower, preparing to head back to her room, to most likely wake Weiss up herself.

"So, anyway..." She heard a group of students talk in the shower as she passed by them, However, the moment Ruby got too close, the group silenced, and Ruby couldn't help but notice their eyes, looking at her with what she could only assume was a hint of worry combined with relief, as paradoxical as that was.

"Anything the matter?" She asked the group, wanting to investigate their strange behavior a little.

"Umm, No!" One of them said. They each gave her a blatant excuse as to how everything was just fine, and no one was in any way, shape or form doing anything, and Ruby, tired from the conversation, concluded it was pointless to keep trying to talk to them, and just left.

When she got back to the dorm, it appeared that Weiss was already awake, and out as well.

 _What? Weiss too?_ Ruby thought as she looked at the vacant dorm, and upon checking things a little further, she noticed a small note, placed on her and Weiss' bed, addressed to her. She was a little reluctant to opening strange envelopes that manifested themselves on her private space, but Ruby's day, for as short as it was, was already strange enough, and so, she just rolled with it, and removed the envelope, revealing a rather stylized piece of paper, decorated with various shapes and gold and silver linings.

_Dear Ruby,_

_If you are reading this letter, it means I had missed you when you woke up, and have already left to prepare for the day. Please meet me at the central station in New Vale, where I have planned a number of activities for us today._

_Yours, Weiss._

It was short, and Ruby figured Weiss probably had some formal letter papers lying around if she used such an expensive paper for such a short letter. The thought of just spending time with her girlfriend, and not having to worry about anything made Ruby feel really nice, and she managed to forget about the strangeness of the morning, and she headed out, towards Beacon's courtyard to catch a ship heading out to the main city.

* * *

When she finally arrived in the main city, Ruby's scroll began to ring, and she looked at it, Weiss' face showing up as the caller.

"Hey." She picked up and placed the scroll next to her ear. "So, where did you want the two of us to meet?"

"I have the whole thing planned out." Weiss responded. "Just wait in the station, and I'll come pick you up, okay?" She tried to induce a happier tone into her voice, but Ruby noticed it.

"...Sure. See ya in a few." She hung up, and leaned against one of the pillars in the station, waiting for her partner. Soon enough, Weiss showed up, dressed in a rather extravagant fashion, at least more than Ruby would have given her credit for. Ruby, on her part, just wore her regular, everyday outfit, and wasn't expecting this to escalate so quickly.

"Ah, good morning, Ruby." Weiss smiled and came close, giving her a quick kiss. Ruby hugged her, and the two headed out, towards the center of town, Weiss leading the way.

"Soooo... Weiss..." Ruby tried to ask her. "Where, ARE we going?"

"You'll see." Weiss turned back to her for a brief moment, and grabbed Ruby's hand, leaving her on. Even if Weiss' possessiveness managed to tone down, she was still quite dedicated to making sure everyone knew Ruby was hers, and hers alone, and she grabbed on tight to Ruby's hand, especially when she noticed others looking at her, though Ruby imagined most of them just saw her as the Angel of Remnant if anything, but Weiss didn't care. "Well, we're here." Weiss finally stopped before an expensive looking clothing store.

"Uhh, why did you drag me all the way across New Vale just to get to a clothing store?"

"Because," Weiss opened her mouth and looked a little stern. "The rest of the day will require you to be appropriately dressed, and since you left the dress from Winter's speech in the dorm, I figured we'll just have to buy you a quick replacement."

Though Weiss severed almost any relation she had to the Schnee line, traces of her spoiled lifestyle still managed to pop up here and there. The toured the shop, Weiss picking up red dress with red linings all over it, and presented it to Ruby, to go and change and see if it fits her. This went on for several tries, until Weiss was finally happy with the end result, and the proceeded to pay, Weiss using her own credit card. Even though they weren't official huntresses yet, no one even doubted their status, and Glynda managed to come up with a certain salary for the team for each successful mission they had, and coupled with Yang's job as a teacher, the group had quite enough money to get by. They left the clothing store, Weiss once again leading the way, as the now dress-clad Ruby tumbled behind her on heels. After all that time, and she still never got used to the blasted things, and she tried to keep up with her lover, carrying a bag with her last uniform in it.

"Wait." Weiss stopped her midway, and opened up her scroll, pressing a few of the buttons. All of a sudden, her locker, which Glynda issued to them while they stayed in Beacon, floated down before the two, landing neatly on the ground, Weiss calculating it's trajectory with her immense intellect. The locker opened, and she turned to Ruby, and grabbed the bag with the dress, stashing it in the locker, and sending it back to Beacon. "You won't need those clothing for now. I'll return them to you later."

After about fifteen minutes of walking around, Weiss stopped her again, this time in front of a fancy looking restaurant. Inside, Ruby could see many high-society folks, enjoying what she could only describe as the tiniest meals she had ever seen. Before Ruby could say anything, a Receptionist approached the two.

"Welcome! Welcome! I assume you have a reservation here?"

"Yes." Weiss pulled her scroll, and tapped on the of the apps on it, revealing a digital confirmation of her order for the man.

"Very well," His smile only got wider, which managed to make Ruby shudder slightly. "Please, come this way!"

He led them through the restaurant, until reaching the upper floor, and headed to the porch, the view of the streets below stretching before them. He pointed towards one of the tables, and Ruby and Weiss finally sat down, looking at each other.

"I shall now go fetch a waiter for the two of you. Please, enjoy your time." He gave them one last, overly wide smile, before running off, leaving the two alone. The waiter came shortly after, and presented them with the menus, letting the two choose.

"Hmm... What to take?..." Ruby heard Weiss ponder. To her, places like this were quite comfortable to be in, but Ruby was a lot like Yang in this regard, and preferred more open, less official feeling places. Alas, Ruby was there, so she thought to herself she might as well try the food, and looked at her own menu as well.

"Ruby?" Weiss looked at her for a brief moment; once she noticed the girl was taking a bit too long to pick something. "Is something the matter?"

Ruby couldn't pick anything. The names of the meals barely made sense to her, and as much as she had to refine herself as the angel, Ruby still had none of the high society nuances down, and the whole thing made her fluster. "Umm... Well..." She signaled to Weiss to come next to her, and pointed towards the various dishes presented, trying to figure out what each of them even meant, forcing Weiss to translate the fancy names to terms she would easily understand. After finally picking up what to eat, and called a waiter over, and told them their order, which came rather quickly.

"We'll have to work on that." Weiss mumbled while chewing on a small piece of steak, marinated with various sauces.

"On what?" Ruby raised an eyebrow, and looked at her meal. Although the plate itself was gigantic, the actual food portion of it paled in comparison, only consisting of a tiny amount of pasta and tomato sauce. _Well, at least the smell is good..._ She came to eat, stuffed almost the entire meal in her throat at the same time, managing to stop herself from eating the whole thing in one go at the last second.

Weiss looked at her, and sighed slightly. "That. All of that." Ruby quickly got the hint, and made a sour face. "Well, excuse me for being born into practical loyalty."

"It doesn't matter where or how you were born." Weiss took another tiny bite, chewing on it for an extended period of time. "What matters is how the people of Remnant see you. If you truly want to be a role model to them, you have to know how to act both as low-class, and high-class people."

"Hmm..." Weiss was right, as usual. Ruby couldn't argue with her logic, and soon, found herself trying to limit her own bite sizes as much as she could, but to no avail, and she finished the entire thing in under two minutes, having to wait for Weiss, who took her sweet time enjoying every single bite.

"Well, in any case, this isn't what this day is about. We could do this another time." She said after finishing her small steak. Ruby was tempted to ask for desert, but the thought of another big plate with a single, tiny cookie discouraged her from doing so.

"Wait, there's more?" Ruby face twisted in disbelief. Sure, Weiss care a great deal about her, and so did Ruby about her, but Weiss was never this generous or flirty. Something was up, and Ruby quickly caught on to it, and became determined to find out what was Weiss scheming.

* * *

They continued their small tour through New Vale, walking around the city, and occasionally stopping various places, either to a park in the area to let the sun soak in, or even to the theater at one point, to watch a play. So far, Weiss seemed to have the whole day planned out for Ruby, not even missing a beat once throughout the whole thing, while sneaking peeks at her scroll here and there, apparently waiting for something, but Ruby didn't care about that at the moment. She felt someone watching them, stalking the two even since they left the restaurant, and while Weiss didn't seem to have noticed, she knew her hardened battle sensed wouldn't allow for such a thing, and it was obvious to Ruby Weiss knew, and just pretended not to notice.

"Weiss..." Ruby tugged at her dress, and Weiss turned to her, giving a slight sigh, as if being caught red handed.

"Yeah. I know." _Might as well act on it._ Weiss thought to herself, and took a small stance. Even without Myrtenaster, Weiss was quite capable on her own, and she 'managed' to pinpoint the spy's location in a short time, her and Ruby preparing to take on the interloper. They approached one of the streets, and waited beyond a corner of one of the buildings. Eventually, they noticed footsteps coming towards them, and Ruby started to focus on her silver eyes, prepared to take them on.

"Ready?" She asked Weiss.

"Yes."

"Now!" Ruby jumped out, and even without her weapon on her, dashed towards the would be spy, crashing into a very startled Neo.

"Neo?!" Ruby was astonished. She wasn't expecting someone like Neo to spy on her and Weiss, though the thing that surprised her the most was the fact that Weiss was apparently in on this.

Neo didn't say anything. She blinked for a moment, looked at Ruby with shock, only to regain her senses in a few seconds, get up, brush some of the dirt off her dress, and bail out, leaving an illusion behind her, which shattered into tiny, phantasmal pieces of glass shortly after.

"She got away..." Ruby pondered, and turned to Weiss. "Okay, Weiss, 'fess up: The hell is going on with all of you today?"

"Just, come back with me to Beacon, okay?" Weiss sighed, and Ruby, while still acting all inquisitive and seeking out answers, begrudgingly agreed, and the two left towards the station, taking the next ship to Beacon Academy. All the way there, Ruby tried to coerce Weiss into giving her some answers, but the letter only replied in cryptic hints and obscure phrases, which only served to piss Ruby off. When the arrived at the courtyard of the school, Ruby noticed the whole place was empty. Not a single soul was present throughout the entire area.

"Now WHAT?" Ruby groaned loudly. _Now I have to deal with THIS?_ She thought to herself. _This day was strange enough as IS! Now what the hell am I supposed to do?!_

Weiss noticed her girlfriend's temper, and tried to calm her down. "Don't worry. I'm sure everything is under control. Just come with me, we'll find Yang or something, and I promise, everything will be okay, okay?"

"Yeah. Sure." Ruby sighed, and let Weiss lead the way, who seemed to take her towards the cafeteria of the school. For some reason, the windows were all dark, and Ruby couldn't tell what was going on in there the entire time the two walked around the building.

"Listen, Weiss; I'm getting really tired of your shenanigans." Ruby finally couldn't take anymore. "Please, just promise me you'll explain what is going on here once were done with whatever you have planned in there. I'm not even sure Yang would BE in the cafeteria right now, it's not even late enough for dinner yet." Her belly rumbled for a moment, and Ruby realized that she hadn't had a lot to eat even since the launch in that restaurant. "Though I am hungry..."

"Look, just trust me, okay?" Weiss sneaked one last look at her scroll, and this time, her face brightened up at the massage she appeared to receive.

"And what's up with you looking at your scroll every five fucking minutes?!" Ruby groaned again. "Seriously, this day is nothing but a giant mess, I don't even know why I got out of bed this morning." Weiss, noticing her stress, pulled Ruby close, and kissed her.

"It's okay." She let Ruby bury herself in her chest. "Shh... Just come with me, and trust me, it's all going to be fine." Ruby followed her, and the two opened up the doors to the cafeteria, and stepped inside, the entire room completely dark.

"So, why did you bring me her again?" Ruby asked, but this time, Weiss walked to the wall, and flicked the light switch.

"HAPPY 17TH BIRTHDAY RUBY!" She heard a myriad of voices call from the other side of the hall, and when the light hit her face, she recognized almost every student in Beacon, with the inclusion of her father, her teammates, JNR and CFVY, even Qrow, Glynda, and Oobleck, all standing together, and a huge banner saying 'Happy B-Day Ruby' Dropped from the ceiling, shining vibrantly in many colors.

"Well?" Weiss came from behind her, and gave Ruby a tight hug, "You like the surprise?" However, Ruby didn't say anything. She simply gave a short, almost cynical laugh, and stepped outside, much to everyone's dismay.

"What? Something we did wrong?" Yang asked.

"I'll handle it. Just wait here." Weiss stepped outside as well, only to see Ruby, sitting on the edge of the cliff, over at the main courtyard. Weiss used her glyphs to approached Ruby quickly, only to see that the girl was crying deeply.

"Ruby, what's wrong?" Weiss sat beside her. "I thought you like surprises."

"It's not that!" Ruby called out. "I'm seventeen! Do you even realize what that means?"

"...No?" Weiss didn't see anything weird or odd about that age.

"Isn't it all just insane?" Ruby started out to the distance. "And to think, that right about now, I was just supposed to prepare to be accepted to Beacon!" She pointed to the school behind her. "And now," The tears began to flow. "Now look at me! I've been through so much, I can't even be bothered to remember how old I am!" This was the one thing that sat in Ruby's mind ever since the morning, that for some reason she just couldn't remember. The sheer fact that she was just NOW supposed to start her school days in Beacon astonished her, and she found it very hard to cope with it.

"I mean, we just went through a WAR!" Ruby called out again, Weiss not saying anything. "What kind of 16-year-old kid leads people into a WAR?! I just, feel so, so OLD..." Ruby quieted down, and fell to Weiss' thighs, resting her head on them. "What the hell even am I anymore?..."

"You're an angel." Weiss pat her head. "A symbol for the people to remember their hope in the world. It may be tough, and it may be disheartening, but I know, deep inside, that you can do it, Ruby." Weiss leaned down at her. "And even if you fall, I'll ALWAYS be there, to support you, and help you back up again."

"You promise?" Ruby sobbed a bit. "You promise you'll stay by my side, no matter what?"

"I already told you." Weiss smiled a bit, and gave Ruby another kiss.

"You're mine. And I'm yours."

* * *

After that, Ruby managed to calm down, and they walked back to the party, much to everyone's joy. The music played loud, and everyone was dancing and having the time of their lives. Even though Ruby was still a little icky, she was shot right out of it the moment she saw the cake they made for her was covered head to toe in strawberry and cookies, and her mood improved greatly, at least for the moment.

"How long did you even plan this?" She asked her father, while the old man sat on one of the chairs, and enjoyed a cup of liquor, courtesy of Qrow. "Wait, is that liquor?"

"It took us a while. It was actually pretty hard to keep the surprise though. We had your entire day with Weiss planned out, in order to make sure you weren't here to snoop around. *hic*" He looked at her, as the drink was taking him over. "And why YES, this IS liquor."

"..." Ruby looked at him, and considered asking for a cup too, but she quickly dropped the idea. There was no punch bowl in the entire area, which meant Qrow must have brought this on his own accord, and there was no chance in hell he'd give her any. _Well, maybe next year._

"So, Rubes," She heard Yang approach from behind her, holding a plate with cake in her hands. The thought of Yang using her dust arm, which she had already proven to be able to shatter the earth apart, for such mundane acts as holding a fork make Ruby snicker, and soon, she burst into laughter, much to Yang's confusion. "Well, I DID want to ask you if you're having fun, but I'm more concerned with your sudden laughter streaks..." Yang asked, but in reality, she already knew whatever she needed about Ruby's condition. Ruby's aura was dancing and playing around, as vibrant and as burning as ever. The sight of it made Yang a little happy inside, but Ruby's earlier outburst left her wondering, and she peered a little deeper into Ruby's soul, searching for what could have possibly made her act like that. She did find traces of fear and doubt left in her sister, but for the most part, Ruby seemed to have gotten over it, at least for now.

"Oh, sorry." She giggled one last time, and turned to her sister. "I'm feeling fine, Yang."

"At least that." Yang gave her a wide smile, letting her golden eyes shine.

"Hey, Yang, you do know your eye's color changed, right?" Ruby asked her.

Yang blinked at her for a brief moment, and shrugged. "I mean, I figured something like that would happen, but you know, I doesn't really change anything for me, so yeah, I don't mind it."

"If you say you." Ruby said and turned away. "Well, I'm going to talk to some more people, so I'll see you later." Ruby walked ahead, enjoying her time, until she came across a certain pick and brown haired individual, hanging in the corner.

"So," Ruby came to Neo, and leaned on the wall beside her, startling her short assassin a little. "Mind explaining why you were following Weiss and me today?"

Neo gave her a bit of a disappointed-at-herself look, and opened her mouth. "Backup surveillance."

"And you guys figured you'd be the best for the job, huh?..." Ruby chuckled for a bit. "Well, I guess you were right, it did take me a short while to track you down." Neo blushed and slid away along the wall, leaving Ruby alone once again.

"This really is a strange day, huh?..."

* * *

At last, the party was over, and everyone disbanded back to their room, with Tai yang having to be carried by Qrow to the first possible airship to Patch. For some reason, Yang and Blake hadn't shown up, and Ruby was sitting alone on the bed, waiting for Weiss to finish preparing for sleep. Weiss finally came back from the communal showers, and Ruby looked at her, admiring her beauty. It was something she hasn't gotten to do in quite a while, and for what was worth, she was just happy to have some alone time with her significant other.

"Hey, Weiss," She turned to her lover, and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Yes?" Weiss stared back. She already suspected where this was headed, and so, she asked Yang and Blake to go sleep someplace else tonight.

"Let's do _that._ " Ruby said, her face turning bright red.

Weiss looked at her. The thought of uniting with Ruby for the first time was exciting to her, but still, she needed to make sure. "As long as you are ready for it." Even though they studied together in Beacon at the day, Weiss WAS at least two years older than Ruby, and while she herself didn't mind it much, she wanted to see if Ruby wanted this out of her own accord, and not because someone pushed this idea on her.

"I-I am." She mumbled. "I've been thinking about it for the past few days, and I think that yeah. I'm finally ready."

Weiss smiled, and inched closer and closer to Ruby, their lips interlocking, as the two lied down, becoming one for the very first time.


	50. Intermission 7: Rebirth

So far, the restoration of New Vale was proceeding substantially. More and more buildings were being built, and even though the moon was gone, and grimm activity was on the rise, the huntsmen of New Vale kept on repelling them from the still ruined areas, allowing construction to take place. Beacon, as well, was being rebuilt, and many of the faculties were already done, with only a few, minor places still needing renovation. For team RWBY, this was a fine day like any other, and today, they were given an extermination mission from Glynda, to clear out an abandoned building in the ruins from grimm, and subsequently demolish it completely to rubble.

"Wait!" They heard a voice call to them as the group was headed to the station, to catch an aircraft to the city itself. They turned around, and saw Penny walk slowly towards them, her father, Dr. Glint Polendina following behind her. "Hey guys!" She got close, and Yang could see that even after the war, her aura was not yet fully recovered. "I want to come with."

"Penny, no." Ruby refused. Ever since Penny had her showdown with Ironwood, most of her systems were burnt out. She lost the ability to hover, and her physical strength diminished almost completely, leaving her weaker than most first years in Beacon. Even further, she only regained the ability to speak after her father started fixing her body.

"Ruby, please!" Penny called, though her voice became a little jittery in the higher tones. "I'm much better now than before. I can help, I know it!" To Ruby, Penny's determination was amazing. Even though Penny was heavily damaged, she somehow managed to keep on a smile.

"I can't let you hurt yourself," Ruby insisted, "But if your father agrees, I won't stop you."

Dr. Polendina looked at her and his daughter, and carefully considered his options, before nodding with consent. "Very well. If Penny insists, I will allow this. Just please, watch over her. Her body has become very sensitive."

Ruby looked at her team, looking for any objections. "Anyone against this?"

"No, not really." Weiss agreed. "I don't like the idea of babysitting Penny, but the grimm in the area shouldn't be that tough. She should be fine."

"Blake?" Ruby turned to the faunus, who waved her head, meaning she had no objections.

"…Yang?" Ruby asked her sister as well, but Yang was lost in thought, looking deep into Penny's aura. It was strange, but it appeared that her aura was limited in a certain way Yang couldn't quite understand, and for some reason, it didn't reach all the parts of her body just yet. Still, though, it was there, flickering in its own, unique, opaque white way.

"Hmm… Huh?" Yang suddenly snapped out of her little trance when she heard Ruby's voice. "Uhh yeah. I don't mind."

"Well," Ruby gave Penny a smile, "Let go then, Penny!"

* * *

"Hyaaaa!" Ruby charged forward, closely followed by Weiss with her dilation glyph, as the two eviscerated every single grimm that came into view. Meanwhile, Blake and Yang were doing more reconnaissance, following the two and making sure no grimm was left standing. Next to them, Penny walked, having no strength to run just yet. So far, She only managed to conjure and control one sword at a time, which left her quite hindered facing the number of grimm in the building, but the team more the covered up for that, and Penny even succeeded in killing a grimm here and there. After an hour or so of constant action, Ruby decided to take a short break, and found a clear spot for the group to rest in, taking out a bottle of juice from her bag, and emptying its contents into her stomach in one fell swoop.

"Well, let's rest for now." She and Weiss sat together, and produced a small boxed lunch, which they made in advance, and started to eat. Blake and Yang followed suit shortly after, and Penny sat beside them, having no real need to eat regular foods.

"So, Penny," Blake turned to her between bites. "How have you been recovering?"

"Oh, it's been fine." Penny gave a wide smile, and brought out a single blade, starting to play with it in her hands out of having nothing else to do. "My father has been doing a great job of repairing me. He even told me that soon, I might be able to fly again!" Out of all the things the atlesian military added to her, flight was the one thing Penny actually enjoyed. Being airborne was a lot more fun than she initially gave it credit for, and while the others fought on the front lines, Penny used to tour Beacon, searching for any threats there, while also just enjoying the air hitting her face while she could.

"That's great." Yang smiled at her. "I hope you make a full recovery soon." As Yang said that, Penny silenced for a brief moment.

"Yang?" Penny finally turned to her. "You can still see my aura, right?"

"Of course I can. Why wouldn't I be?" Yang tried to sound as cheerful as possible when talking to her. Penny's synthetic aura was difficult to read emotionally, even for her, and Yang had to resort to more regular methods when determining how Penny was feeling, though her distressed face gave her away quite easily.

"Because I can't feel it." Penny answered. "I know not too much time has passed, but even though my father has been working on me almost 24 hours a day for the past two weeks now, I can still tell that my aura won't reach certain places in my body, as though it considers them dead…" Penny fell silent, and the group looked at her.

"Well, I believe in you." Blake finally said. "It might be tough, but you'll always have all of us, and the others in Beacon too, to help you fully recover."

"Don't worry, Penny." Ruby came close and hugged her. "Even if you can't feel it right now, I just know that you will regain the feeling."

"Ruby's right." Weiss agreed. "If I could tell one thing about you, Penny, is that you can transcend your own machinery. If you can stand up to Ironwood and break apart your own limits, you can get out of this."

"And trust me." Yang finally added. "Even though you ARE right, and I can see your aura avoid certain parts of your body, I can also see it flicker just as brightly as ours. At least when it comes to aura, You definitely healed already."

Hearing everyone cheer for her, even Weiss in her own way, managed to encourage Penny, and she smiled at them, as they continued to eat their meals. By now, most of the grimm were dead, and Ruby and her friends went through the last parts of the building, killing the last remains of the grimm.

"Well, I think we're done here." Ruby smiled and turned to her sister. "Yang, if you please?"

"With pleasure." Yang smiled and turned towards the empty building. While her anger issues were long resolved, if there was one thing she always found to be fun, it was to smash things.

"Let's do this!" She readied the Dust Celica and slammed the wall of the building, sending the whole weight of her aura at the building. At first, nothing happened.

 _BOOM!_ Suddenly, a tremor passed through the building, and the whole things collapsed on itself, crashing to the ground. Yang stood, and swiped some of the sweat from her forehead with the right arm, looking a bit proud of her handiwork. Soon after, nothing of the old complex, and the whole thing became a pile of rubble.

"Weiss, your turn." Ruby turned to her lover.

"Humph!" Weiss summoned her knight's blade with her armor, and loaded a purple crystal into Myrtenaster, letting the knight's blade turn purple, with the rest of armor changing hue as well. She raised the blade, and struck the ground, creating a dust infused glyph all around the building, which gradually turned pitch black. The rubble, unable to withstand the instance gravitational field generated beneath it, collapsed as well, leaving nothing but dirt behind. When it was clear that no traces of either the grimm or the building were left, Ruby relaxed a bit, and turned to her team.

"Okay! Mission accomplished! Good work everyone!" She called, and the group started to head back to the borders of New Vale, and from there back to Beacon. As they walked, Ruby noticed Penny's steps were a little bit limp, even though at this point she should have been able to walk properly.

"So, Penny…" Ruby walked close to her, and looked at her face. Penny, even though she was cheerful only a few minutes prior, had a blank expression on her face, and her eyes lost their glint. "Tell me: Was it hard?"

Penny looked at her, and soon realized what Ruby meant. "Yes. It was." Killing Ironwood was one of the hardest things Penny ever had to do. Her father, at first, did program some basic protocols into her, to avoid the worst case scenario, at least until she managed to differentiate right from wrong on her own merit. Yet, ever since Ruby and her friends saved Penny from Atlas, she knew, that while she would never be bound down by external programming again, her father's protection was also gone.

"Listen," Ruby came to comfort her, and held Penny. "I know what it's like, to kill another. It hurts at first, more than you can possibly imagine, and yet, in the grand scheme of things, I just know it was the right act." Ruby came to tighten the hug, but Penny, in a fit of sadness, broke it up and stepped back.

"No you don't!" Penny called. "What you killed was a grimm! A monster sent to bring about the end of us all! What I ended," Penny couldn't even bring herself to say the word in that context. "What another human! And not just a human, but a human that helped bring me into being!"

Ruby wanted to say another thing, but held her tongue, regretting bringing up the issue a little. However, if there was one thing she knew, is that swiping it under the rug was never an option, and that doing so would only cause Penny to suffer down the road.

"But you know what the worst part of it all is?" Penny wanted to cry, but the tears won't come out, having to ability to shed them in the first place. "The worst part, the one thing that I can't stand, is that it was MY choice. Not my programming, not my orders, MINE!" Penny fell to the ground, finally grasping the full meaning of her actions. "I did it. With my will, with my hands, with nothing more than my own intent."

"And what's wrong with that?" Weiss objected.

"What does that means?!" Penny lashed out at her. "You have no idea what it's like to be born without free will! It took me so long to develop mine, and look what I've done with it!"

"I had mine taken away from me!" Weiss yelled. "As far as I'm concerned, my birth was the day I left the Schnee family behind" True; Weiss acknowledged this was a part of her past. Still, to her, that's exactly what it was, and she intended to keep it that way.

"…" Penny didn't say anything, and simply stared at the former heiress, as the letter kneeled down before her.

"Maybe Ruby doesn't know what it's like to kill someone important to you, but I do know what it's like to have to free will." Weiss got up, and looked to the horizon. "It's comforting, in a way. Not having to think, being told what to do, letting someone else run your life." Penny knew precisely what Weiss was talking about.

"And yet, the more I thought about it, the more the idea became revolting in my eyes." Weiss turned back to the android, her eyes shining with resolve. "Unlike the others here Penny, I don't fight for the world, or the people. None of those even matters to me." She took a quick glance at Ruby. "What I DO fight for is what _I_ care about. What _I_ see as precious. I decided to dedicate my life to rebuilding myself; however _I_ see fit, and in the end, look at me now." Weiss stretched her back, and took a prideful pose.

Penny looked at her, and in Weiss' eyes, she could see her will burn. While Weiss did accept her emotions, she did not let them rule her, and her entire body moved and acted like a perfect, calculated and well-oiled machine. Seeing Weiss in that light made Penny understand that if anyone in the group was truly anything like her, it was, in fact, the former heiress. "Then how do I deal with the pain?" Penny asked her.

"You do what I did. What Ruby did:" Weiss stated. "You accept that this is life, and in the end, no matter what happens, you can only take responsibility for your own actions, and no one else's, and that sometimes, death is a must."

Penny looked at the ground for a moment, and closed her eyes, retreating inside for a moment, trying to make sense of her situation. After a short while of thinking, she opened her eyes, and gave a brave smile. "You're right." Penny told her back. "This is MY life, and MY will. I'll walk down the path I chose, and whatever comes my way, I'll deal with it in my own way." While she mostly agreed with Weiss, Penny also had one part she couldn't quite agree with. "I'll just set my own inhibitions. My own rules. In the end, it's our limitations that define us." She looked at the team, and this new way of thinking quickly sunk it, as Penny recognized it as her own, original thought.

"I'm so happy for you." Ruby held her hand, causing Weiss to turn a little cold. "Oh come on Weiss. She's an android. What could she possibly do?" Ruby calmed her down. To Penny, the concept of love was still something she struggled with. She got more basic emotions, like happiness or sadness, confusion or anger, but in the end, love was something she just couldn't grasp. However, the lack of feeling in this field did not bother her much. So far, she saw Ruby and her team as more of an extended family if anything, and she knew that no matter what happened, she could rely on them to help her in her time of need.

"Wait." Yang suddenly stopped, and looked around. "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah." Ruby tensed up, as the ground began to tremble lightly. They looked around, and in the distance, they could see something they were not prepared for: An entire herd of goliaths, heading in their direction.

"What?!" Ruby called, and readied her weapon. The mission briefing did not mention anything about goliaths being in the area, and not only that, an entire herd, containing at least a dozen specimens, if not more, was something she personally couldn't see coming. None of them did.

"What's the plan?" Blake pulled both her weapons, and the jittering around her began.

"We take them on." Ruby decided. "We can't let them get any further into New Vale. We have no other choice."

"But what about Penny?" Yang interjected. "She can't fight THIS many of them!"

"Then call Glynda, and request backup. Meanwhile, me, Weiss and Blake would hold them off. Yang! You're on guard duty." Ruby let her aura flow through the nexus in her eyes, creating the white glow around them.

"Got it!" Yang grabbed Penny's hand and pulled her on, while also fetching her scroll with her other hand, while heading to the back.

"Let's go." Ruby disappeared, and suddenly, she reappeared next to one of the goliaths, slashing it in the face directly. She managed to stagger it back a little, but these types of grimm, unlike the nevermores and ursai, were a lot heavier to take down, and a lot tougher. It retaliated, sending a tusk in her direction, only to be stopped by Blake's clones, while another one got beneath it, and attacked it's stomach, sending the beast back further. Meanwhile, Weiss jumped into the air, preparing her blade, and dashed back down, driving her sword through the grimm's head, killing it at last.

"Come on!" Ruby continued, mowing them down with the help of her friends one by one. Taking on this power grimm, and in these numbers, was one of the tougher things they had to face lately. Another one came at the angel, but Ruby pushed the silver eyes even further, appearing in a flash on top of its head, and decapitating it with a powerful slash. its head fell down, and Ruby jumped to the next, letting Weiss use the remaining, dissipating body, while chugging it with her glyphs at the others, it's massive weight crashing against them, while Blake came at the staggered group, creating a number of clones, each one finishing them off, before dissipating, Blake herself moving on. So far, the battle was going fine, and the trip managed to rout down the elephants while keeping them at bay from Yang and Penny, who stood out in the open away from them.

Penny wanted to go, and help them, but each time the thought came to her head, her partially crippled body stopped her, and she stood in place, not sure what to do. Suddenly, a loud noise came from behind them, and another goliath appeared out of nowhere, attacking Yang and her.

"PENNY!" Yang sprang into action, summoning the Blaze Celica, while holding the beast at its tusks with her bare arms. "Get out of here! I'll handle this one!"

"No!" Penny retracted a single blade, and it floated in the gloath's direction. "I want to fight! I won't be a liability!" She started to swing it at the grimm's mask, trying to cut through it, but the blades were too weak, only made weaker with her lackluster strength, and she barely managed to scratch its face. The goliath roared, and pushed harder at Yang, straining her hands to their limits.

"Penny please! Get out!" Yang called, and redoubled herself. Unfortunately, she did not have any free hands to fetch a brown dust crystal, or to draw them from the earth, which left her on her regular strength, having to hold the grimm down, unable to move. Penny, while still wanting to help, came close to Yang, and pulled a brown crystal from her pouch, trying to rub it on her arm, but alas, she lacked the force to grind it properly. She looked back, at Ruby, Weiss, and Blake, as the three of them went on to kill more and more of the goliaths heading in their direction.

"Don't worry, Yang. I can do this." Penny tried to summon another blade, but she felt her CPU starting to heat up, having a hard time processing both blades' trajectory at the same time. While her aura, and subsequent personality, were generated and stored in a black box in her body, which her father won't reveal the contents of, even to her, her actual CPU was in charge of her body's more physical features. With it damaged, it became nigh impossible for Penny to control two blades at the same time, let alone the whole set, and yet, Penny did not give up. One by one, she summoned blade after blade, giving up other systems' power to enable it.

"Ugh!" She keeled over, barely able to stand under the pressure, and at this point, about four blades barely hovered above her. Her body was crashing down, and Yang was starting to tire out, leaving Penny with only two options: Either find a way to embed the brown dust into the Dust Celica, or take down the goliath herself, which was possible, if Penny was able to tap into her full spec of power.

"Just go! I'll be fine!" Yang kept asking her, but Penny refused. Weiss was right, and this was her definitive moment. The moment where she makes her own destiny, and overcomes her physical limitations.

Suddenly, Penny came up with an idea. She opened her chest compartment, revealing her dust core, and attached the brown crystal to it, letting both the green and brown dust resonate with her aura. Slowly, Penny felt heavier, yet stronger, as the power of the earth elemental crystal filled her with primal strength. She got up, and instead of the CPU, held two of the blades in her own two hands, leaving one of them afloat. She ran, though slowly, at the grimm, and used Yang as a platform to get onto it's head. It tried to shake both her and the Dustmaster off, and Penny lifted her blades, sending them at its mask, over and over. Yang looked, as the brown crystal tinted Penny's aura light brown, and her physical strength amplified, as she started to crack the mast of the monster.

"Penny…" Yang looked at her worried, but Penny's aura burned with her will, and it seemed she was not going to give up. All that was left for Yang to do was keep on holding the goliath, until Penny succeeded to killing it, though at the moment, while her blades did do some damage, it appeared that Penny was just not strong enough on her own, even with her power amplified by the dust. All of a sudden, the goliath twisted, throwing Yang back, and knocking Penny off of its back, sending her to the ground. It came to stomp on her, finally finishing the robot off, but Yang was faster, and quickly connected the Dust Celica to the earth, drawing a brown strand on the Dust Celica, while dashing to Penny's location, and grabbing the goliath by its leg. With the brown enhancement, Yang was more than capable to hold it off, and she focused herself even harder, managing to slowly lift the huge grimm off the ground.

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Yang shouted and threw it off, sending the grimm to the ground. It crashed, but still managed to stand, it's mask almost completely broken. Yang took this opportunity, and jumped at it, this time switching to red dust instead, as both the Dust and Blaze Celicas began to burn, and she punched the elephant directly, creating a huge explosion near its face, finally shattering the mast, and killing it. Just as the grimm dispersed, she ran to Penny, who laid on the ground, motionless.

"Oh no… Penny, are you okay?..." She quickly scanned Penny's aura, and her condition reminded Yang of the time she first came with them from Atlas: Her aura was intact, but her physical body was in tatters, though it wasn't a lack of power that caused her to malfunction: Penny, after all this time, finally burnt out her CPU completely, leaving with no way to actually control her body, which barely had any strength left as is. Yang lifted her and tried to walk towards Ruby, while a nevermore descended from the sky, trying to attack her. Before Yang could react though, a single crow darted from the skies above, transforming to the shape of a man, as Qrow came out of nowhere, and sliced the nevermore's head clean off with his scythe.

"You okay?" He asked her, as more aerial grimm came at them.

"Qrow! What, how-"

He simply looked at her, and gave Yang a cocky smile. "I'm the backup, kid."

From there, he transformed back into the crow, and took to the air, drawing the attention of the grimm. His mastery over his own semblance allowed Qrow to transform back and forth with ease, and the battle unfolded before her eyes, as her uncle switched from form to form, using the crow to glide swiftly through the air, and his human form to take down the grimm, one by one. Meanwhile, Yang tended to Penny, trying yet again to apply her aura-based healing to her body, but to no avail. Still, she tried to connect with Penny's aura as much as she could, in an attempt to keep her there for as long as possible.

"Penny!" she heard Ruby shout from behind her, the rest of her team finally finishing with the goliath herd, and her sister dashed with her semblance towards Penny and her, holding her hand. "No.. Please stay with us…"

"Don't worry Rubes. Her aura is still there. I can feel it." Yang reassured her. "However, it seems that her connection to her body was heavily damaged."

"Let me take a look." Weiss approached, and examined Penny's body, before getting up. "Her CPU is fried. She won't be able to move at all now, but at least, it would seem that her aura generator, and subsequently her soul, should be fine."

Ruby breathed in relief, as she looked to the sky, noticing her uncle annihilate the grimm with expertise. She wanted to help him, but her aura was diminished from all the goliaths, though it would have seemed that Qrow had the situation under control, the nevemores not really standing a chance against him.

"I'll catch up to you later!" He flew down for a second and cried at them from above. "So take Penny to safety!"

Ruby nodded, and team RWBY left towards Beacon, bringing Penny to her father.

* * *

The team waited outside of Dr. Polendina's study, which was basically an improvised space where Glynda's old office used to be. Qrow returned as well, and the five looked as the doctor came outside, looking both relieved and ashamed.

"How is she? Ruby asked bluntly.

"Well, as Weiss told me, Penny's CPU is dead." He started. "But this time, I don't have the proper tools to fix it. I might as well get a new one, but the whole thing is hardwired, so replacing it is impossible…"

"So there's nothing we can do?..." Ruby sadly asked.

"I might as well build her a new body, but who knows how long that would take without the proper resources and tools."

"Wait, you can actually do that?" Blake curiously asked the doctor.

"It shouldn't be impossible. We have tons of scrap droid parts from the war, plus Penny's black box is undamaged, and while removing that would cause her old body to die out, she should still be herself in a new one. Plus, all we really need from her is the black box that keeps her aura intact and the memory banks. Thankfully, those weren't destroyed in the fight."

"If you want, we can contact Atlas." Qrow suggested. "Winter may be new in her seat, but right now, the whole kingdom owes us quite a bit for the war. We can use both facts to allow you access to your old lab, and all the equipment you have there."

"You would do that for my Penny?" Glint's eyes began to tear up a tiny bit. "Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

"Yeah, Sure…" In actuality, Qrow had Ruby and Yang in mind, but either way, everyone would have been happy.

* * *

A month had passed since Glint and Penny temporarily returned to Atlas, to rebuild her body. With full access to his research notes and proper resources, Glint worked as hard as he could, and when the time had come, he sent a message for Ruby and her team to come to his lab, for her reawakening. The team, followed by Qrow and Winter, entered the humble, yet advanced looking lab, only to be greeted by Dr. Polendina, looking a bit tired, yet proud of his work.

"Ah! Great of you to join me!" He called to them as they approached the guest room in his lab. "Just wait here, while I make a few final adjustments, and I'll come to take you to her." He smiled widely, and stepped back into the inner chambers of his lab.

"Thank you again, Winter." Qrow turned to her. "None of this would've been possible without your help." He tried to sound as polite and thankful as he could.

"W-Well, it was for Penny's sake. She's the whole reason the war started. I couldn't just leave her be." Winter blushed a tiny bit as she said that, causing Qrow to chuckle at her reddened face.

"Yang?" Ruby turned to her. Yang's eyes were fixated on the door Dr. Polendina went through, and in her eyes, she could see two auras, one shining with the many colors of the rainbow, and one bleach white. "You okay Yang?"

"Yeah." Yang replied. "But I'll feel much better when I see Penny waking up." After a minute, the doctor came out, and gestured them with his fingers, signaling them to follow him. The group came inside, and went through a series of halls and chambers, until reaching a small room, where Penny's old, ruined body laid next to what looked like an older version of herself.

"I've been working on this new body for her for quite a while, you know!" Glint explained to them as they walked with him. "Penny's original body was actually the first version, only meant for to introduce her to the real world, while I worked on a better body!" His voice became a bit frantic from all the enthusiasm "I also tweaked her age appearance to match your current age." Glint explained excitingly. "But that's not the best part! The new body's skin fibers, as well as the skeletal infrastructure and facial features are able to stretch and morph with the passage of time!"

"Which means?" Ruby asked curiously.

"It means that Penny would be able to artificially age!" He smiled at her, and opened up Penny's chest compartment, revealing a small, bronze case.

"So that's…"

"Yes." He confirmed. "In essence, this IS Penny."

"But how did you do it?" Yang had to ask. As she looked at the small object, she could clearly see a white flame over it on all sides, flickering with life.

"I think you already know the answer to this question, but I'll show you. For her sake." He opened up the small box, and inside, Yang could see an assortment of dust crystals of all colors, humming together in harmony, surrounded by various electronic wirings and pads.

"So…" The realization hit Yang like a brick. "Penny's aura comes from dust?"

"Indeed." He grinned. "Originally, I had to hide this, particularly from Ironwood, not wanting this discovery to fall into the wrong hands. However, now, I believe the current leader of Atlas," He looked at Winter. "Is trustworthy enough to know."

"Don't worry." She told him back. "As far as I am concerned, Penny is her own, unique individual, even if her aura is synthetic. I would never aim to duplicate it."

"However, the one thing I can't understand is how her soul developed so much on its own." The doctor mused, as he closed the box, and implemented it to the new body's head. "In theory, the structure should have only given her the ability to generate aura. Nothing more."

"Well, doctor Glint." Yang smiled this time. "I think YOU know the answer to this question this time."

"I suppose some things are unpredictable, huh?" He sighed. "Ruby, would you like to do the honors?"

She approached the new body, and the doctor directed her as to what buttons to push, as she saw green lines of energy flow into Penny's new dust core, powering it up.

And they all watched with merriment as Penny opened her eyes.


	51. New Teams, Old Threats

At last, the rebuilding of New Vale had been completed.

Team RWBY, along with the members of team JNR, stood together on a big stage, where Glynda was delivering a long speech to the people, wanting to wish only the brightest of futures for the new kingdom, and return the peace Remnant once knew back to where it was, ending the hostile connections with Atlas, and its new council head Winter, and reopening the free travel routes from New Vale to Vacuo and Mistral, as well as Atlas. Ruby, the titular angel of Remnant, was requested to give an appearance in the ceremony, like the many others before it, and as usual, she always brought her friends along for the ride, to give her some company. The hype from the angel title had begun to die down a little bit, and while many still see her as an otherworldly being, her words at the end of the war seemed to have sunk in for most people, and now, the amount of direct followers to her had decreased, with them realizing their path was in their own hands. To Ruby, though, it didn't matter either way. She was able to inspire change in people for the better, and for her. It was enough.

Above the stage, Penny, in her new body, built to her by her father and given to her after her old one died out in the aftermath of the war, floated peacefully, enjoying the breeze. Fortunately, her father agreed on adding the flight feature back into her new form, and early on into the adjustment and adaptation to the taller and more developed body, the atlesian technology from her old body was adapted into the new, and slight humming came from her legs as she twirled around, the crowd already knowing about her, and occasionally coming down, just to mess with her precious friend for a short bit, before going back up.

"...And to all the people in the other kingdoms, listening in on this joyous day," Glynda turned to the cameras pointed at her, broadcasting the whole thing to the rest of the world. "The borders of New Vale are officially open! Please, we invite you to come and experience our brand new kingdom by yourselves!"

The crowd cheered and clapped, and Ruby and her friends followed suit. Luckily, Ruby managed to avoid having to write another speech and speak to everyone. Lately, every time she did that, she found herself repeat the same basic message of love and peace, only skinned to fit the current situation. She didn't mind it per se, the overall ideal was something she found worthy of following, but having to say these things over and over began to become monotones in her mind, and she tried to spice up her everyday life with other things, like taking Weiss on more serious dates or reading or even just slouching with Nora in their dorm room, doing nothing. Some delirious part of her sort of wished that there would be some serious action soon, though her rational mind reminded her that it wasn't going to be all fun and games and it actually became reality. The war with Atlas, officially over about five months ago, left the child Ruby behind, leaving her as the more adult Ruby she was now. Sure, she was only seventeen, the age where most people like her only _begin_ their huntsmen training, the things Ruby had to do already killed out her innocence a long time ago.

After the ceremony was finally over, the teams decided to go out into the city, to find a place a place to eat lunch together. Weiss was in charge of actually finding a proper establishment to eat in, while Ruby held her hand as the two walked. Meanwhile, Jaune, Nora, and Ren were talking about a mission they had a few days prior, while Yang and Blake bantered along about something fish related. The only one not currently having a conversation was Penny, too busy experiencing her new body to interact with anyone at the moment.

"There." Weiss got their attention and pointed towards a small coffee shop, which had enough space to house all of them. They got in, sat next to one of the larger tables, made their order, and soon the entire group was busy munching down various foods, ranging from a large cookie for Ruby to a small salad for Ren, ending in Blake getting herself some well-needed fish.

"I always wondered what it was like to eat..." Penny pondered vocally, and grabbed one of the pretzels on the table, putting it into her mouth. She tried to chew on it, but alas, taste buds were not something her father thought of just yet for her, and she went outside for a minute to spit out the organic material, not wanting to look disrespecting to the cook. _Note to self: Talk to father about getting taste buds..._ She thought to herself as she went back inside, sitting next to the gang.

"So anyway, as I was saying," Yang spoke up to the rest, telling another one of her stories. This time, she went way back, to the battle against Torchwick, and told Jaune, Nora, Ren and Penny about the time they tried to stop the criminal equipped with an atlesian paladin. It was funny, in a way. Back then, they all had to work together to take one of those down. But today, Yang alone could tear one of those apart with the Dust Celica. "And then, it CRASHED me through a concrete pillar!" She went on, her golden eyes showing her the team's auras were flickering with suspense, which only made her more and more eager to tell the tale. Every once in a while, Yang would let her aura vision extend, showing her the aura around her in a much larger radius. Is was soothing, in a way, to just let go, and watch life unfold before her. In Yang's mind, she was well sated: Peace was achieved, she had her girlfriend close to her, and she never felt better both physically and spiritually.

"And then what?!" Nora asked excitingly as Yang paused to take another glance at the world.

"Well..." Yang wanted to continue, but something else caught her attention. She couldn't quite tell looking at it from this far, but on the horizon, she could feel a hint of darkness to the east of her. "Well... Where was I?" She lost her train of thought and forgot where she stood in her story.

"You were about to smash through the knight!" Nora reminded her.

"Ah, right." Yang continued, but she couldn't quite shake the feeling away. She saw something, she was sure of it, and whatever it was, Yang had the feeling had to find out. Finally, after she had the time to bask in the beauty of Remnant and its inhabitants, and if something else was going to mess with her perfect little world, Yang was not going to rest until she was sure that whoever it was, or whatever they were, were dead. "Well..." She tried to refocus herself, but what she felt in the distance made Yang lose her momentum. "In the end we beat it, alright?" She tried to brush off the story, much to Nora's dismay, and from there, the group kept on eating, and mostly having small talk.

"Well, anyway, I think I've had enough." Ruby got up, leaving a nearly clean plate. Even after all this time, her love for cookies never subsided, and now that she had the time, she strived to always find at least some time during her day to eat a cookie, as a final, small connection to her childhood. "You guys wanna head out?" She said after noticing what the others were mostly done as well, and the plates were all empty.

"Okay." They agreed with her and paid the bills, before exiting the place, and roaming the streets, heading to the station back to Beacon. All the while, Yang felt that presence grow stronger. It felt dark, and for the life of her, Yang hoped this wasn't who she thought it was.

"Yang? You okay?" Blake asked her after seeing the stress build up on her face.

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine, really." She tried to lie, but the faunus was just as adept at this point at reading her lover as Yang was, and she dragged her to an ally, to talk to her alone.

"You don't sound fine. You have that look on your face."

"What look?"

"The 'I-just-saw-something-terrifying-aura related-and-I-can't-tell-anyone' face."

"I don't have a face like that!" Yang objected. "You made that up!"

"Trust me, you do, and this time, you are going to tell me what you saw." Blake became much more assertive with the passage of time. Yang would have actually found it pretty hot if it wasn't to the fact that Blake was coercing her at the moment.

"Okay okay. Look, I'm not sure what I saw myself yet. I have my suspicions, and I pray I'm wrong. I was going to check it tomorrow in my meditation, okay?"

"...Fine." Blake bought her answer, and stepped back a little. "...You know I'm only doing this because I love you, right?. I just don't want to see you get hurt, okay Yang?"

"I would never truly hide this from you." Yang smiled. "I just want to make sure before jumping to conclusion."

Blake sighed. "Very well." The two walked back to the street, the rest already long gone, and they ran to the station, getting back to Beacon.

* * *

The day after, after Yang woke up for her morning routine, and finished the jog around Beacon, she sat on her favorite arch, and closed her eyes, entering her meditation trance. The auras intensified in her eyes, but this time, Yang tried to see through them. She focused her aura sight, and the entirety of Remnant revealed itself before her eyes, as Yang felt her soul rise higher and higher, viewing the entire world. _Hmm... Nothing seems out of the ordinary..._ Yang thought as she looked _. Mistral is here, New Vale is here, Atlas is here, and Vac..._

_Where is Vacuo?_

It was strange at first. As a whole, Remnant seemed fine. But delving further into each kingdom on its own, out of all of them, Vacuo just dimmed out. Yang tried harder, but the same interference persisted, and Vacuo was just out of reach. Gradually, it only became denser, and soon, Yang wasn't able to see Vacuo at all, even when looking at everything.

Yang began to worry. She tried to tighten her focus on the smaller details, but from that far away, it was nigh impossible to achieve. _Okay, if I can't see Vacuo, I'll look at you instead!_ Yang turned her attention to the cloud that surrounded the desert kingdom. It was tough, looking at the void in her sight, but by now, Yang was sort of adapt at it, having to locate grimm this was quite a lot. She peered into the dark cloud, searching for what she hoped wasn't there, until starting to sense a small, fragmented aura in there.

Yang tried to deny it. _No... Please, anyone but her..._ She wanted this to be a lie. A fluke. She looked again, trying to debunk her own realization, and yet, no matter how many times she gazed at it, the result was always the same. Yang snapped out of her trance, and sighed deeply in sadness, as she got up, and thought what should she do.

Her mother, Raven, was in Vacuo.

* * *

"And you're sure? No mistakes at all?" Glynda asked her once again. This conversation was going on for the last ten minutes, with Yang and Glynda repeating the same words, only in different phrasings.

"Yes, I am: My mother, Raven Branwen, is now either in, or is about to be in Vacuo. As for the why, I have no idea." Yang explained herself again.

"And now we have to deal with her..." Qrow sighed deeply and took a long sip from his flask. "Out of all the things that could have happened, she just HAD to come, didn't she?"

"Well, this is quite concerning." Ooblek drank from his tenth cup of coffee for that day, and addressed Glynda. "And yet, these are the facts, and now we have to act accordingly."

"I know, I know." Glynda brushed him off. She finally had her peace back, and now she had to take this ordeal on. By now, they all knew Raven was connected to Salem, which meant that if Raven was there, Salem was up to something. Glynda actually knew the grimm queen might try something as some point, but never expected it to be this soon, only a few months after the war ended, and the moon fell. "Then again..." She thought out loud. "Grimm activity HAS gone on the rise lately." She turned to Yang. "Call the rest of your team, and bring them here. We'll discuss this matter further once they are all here. If anyone is able to stop Raven, it's going to be you four."

"Got it." Yang went to the elevator, and went back down, searching for the rest of her team. A short hour has past, and the four now stood in the office floor of the CCT, and Glynda explained the situation for the rest of them.

"We'll do it." Ruby decided. If the world of Raven was at large again, Ruby knew they were the ablest to track her and take her down. Last time they fought her, they managed to beat her by a thin margin, but now, both Ruby and her team were much, much stronger, so she had no qualms about going through with it.

"Y-Yeah," Yang said after her. "W-We'll go..."

"We'll go too." Jaune's voice suddenly came from behind them. They turned, only to see the visage of the blonde, lean male, followed by his team, and Penny, standing for a change behind them.

"But how did you-"

"I heard you." Penny explained. "I was floating around when I noticed Yang enter the office floor, so I eavesdropped on the conversation." She turned to Glynda. "Please, let us go too! We want to help just as much as team RWBY!"

"Yeah! You can never have enough hands on deck, you know?" Jaune tried to convince her as well.

"I would send you, but I want you to be a four-men team." Glynda told them. "If you can find another person to complete your formation, Arc, I would allow it."

The group stood there in silence, thinking about what to do, until Penny opened her mouth.

"What about me?"

Jaune looked at her. The thought did pass through his head before, but if there was one thing that bothered him about it, it was her name. For him, team JNPR only had one P in it, and taking another one just felt wrong for him, even after all this time. "I-I don't know..." Jaune tried to object, but, having no concrete reasons as to why to refuse her, didn't say much.

Yang looked at him, and noticed the sadness rise. Pyrrha's aura, still hanging on to the circlet tied to his belt, was in its own way connected to Jaune. He interacted with it all the time, and so, some of his aura began to seep into the circlet itself, creating a blend of the two in there. Alas, without the ability to think on its own or develop a soul, like Penny, the aura in there remained what is was in the get go: Just aura.

"Listen, Jaune," She tried to reassure him. "I know how you feel, but we don't have time for this. We need you to have a full team, and Penny would be perfect for the role."

Jaune sighed, and held Pyrrha's circlet close to his mouth. "I just... It feels a little disrespecting to _her,_ you know? Like I'm throwing her away."

Yang, without saying anything, came to Jaune, and held the circlet in the Dust Celica, siphoning a bit of Pyrrha's aura, sending it to Jaune. All at once, he could feel her presence filling him, in a comforting sort of way, and Jaune felt his tension wash away.

"Don't worry. If you let Penny in, Pyrrha is always here with you." Yang cheered him up. "Even if her consciousness is gone, her aura persists, and I can feel her love flow through it too."

Jaune looked into Yang's eyes, and saw the honesty in them. "Okay." He turned to Glynda. "So from now on, Penny will join us, forming team JNPR."

"Excellent." Glynda decreed. "So your mission is as follows: Go to Vacuo, find Raven and what she is up to, and if needed, thwart her plans. I will supply you with travel and shelter expenses, but other than that, you are on your own. I also want a full report each day from the two of you." She pointed to Ruby and Jaune. "As the team leaders, you are in charge of this mission. As far as assignment go, I will publish this one as a rank A mission, hiding it's true nature, and have it caught right away by your two teams. This is an undercover mission, and I don't want the other kingdoms discovering about all of this as much as we can. Any questions?"

"I want to have a few days in advance to train." Ruby requested. "Besides grimm, we haven't had the chance to fight human opponents lately. I want to readjust mine and my team's styles for this as much as we can before leaving."

"Same." Jaune joined her up on that. "We also have to learn how to work Penny into our formation, and try and create synergies between each other."

"Fair enough." Glynda agreed. "I will give you two weeks. Use them wisely, because the moment they are up, I want you to leave. We can't let Raven roam Remnant for too long uninterrupted, and I shudder to think what she might do in Vacuo if we don't interfere."

"Agreed." Ruby nodded, and the group of eight left the building, heading towards the station, to catch a ferry to the emerald forest. While the amphitheater of Beacon would have done nicely for them to train in, There were plenty of combat classes going there, and reserving the arena for themselves for an entire two weeks was not a viable option. After discussing it with each other for a bit, it was decided that going to train on the outside was just as good, and after a while of searching, the group found a nice valley in the forest, where they could duke it out with each other without anyone interfering.

"So, how do we start this?" Yang asked, as she pumped herself up.

"I think we should first do team on team." Ren suggested. "At least to help us explore our new formation."

"Seconded." Jaune spoke up.

"Okay, I don't see why not." Ruby consented, and the two groups went to the opposites sides of the clearing, each prepared for combat. "Ready?" Ruby asked them, and readied Crescent Rose.

"Wait, before we do this!" Penny called, and turned to Jaune. "I'm still not sure how my body would react to your semblance. My father told me this one had an auxiliary power source that isn't dust-related, but it was meant only for emergencies. I won't be able to fight if you activate Equalizer."

"I see... Yang, could you come over for a second?" He called the Dustmaster up, and took her to the side.

"Would activating my semblance hurt Penny's aura?" He had to know.

"Hmm..." Yang knew by now that Penny's aura was generated by an assortment of carefully crafted dust crystals. "Honestly, I have no idea what would happen, but we should assume the worst. For now, steer clear."

"Got it." The two split up, and returned to their appropriate positions. To Jaune, this was just another opportunity to test his physical skills against others who were technically far above him overall.

"Let go!" Ruby called, and the two teams ran against each other, readying their weapons. First to attack was Penny, who summoned her new blades for the first time. The blades, their design changed by quite a bit with her new form, came at team Ruby at great speeds. Blake, almost on instinct, created a clone for each, and blocked all of them, while the original and the rest of her team engaged Jaune and him team directly. Yang tried to pound the ground, sending a shockwave at them, but Ren noticed her fast, and shot at her with StormFlower, but giving the huntress the time to react to him properly. Under normal circumstances, she should have been able to absorb the dust from his shots, and fuel the Dust Celica with the elemental dust in them, alas, like the rest of her team, JNPR also used custom pure dust bullets, rendering the dust in them too physically large for her to absorb on such high velocities. Blake came at Ren, trying to stop him, and Jaune jumped from above, aiming for a helm split attack, while Weiss stepped in with her armor and glyphs, knocking him back, only for Jaune to use his shield to prevent most of the damage. Meanwhile, Ruby and Penny were in a lockdown, blades clashing against scythe, while all around them Nora started shooting her grenades, with explosion occurring all over the place.

"Nora! Be careful!" Jaune commander her, but Nora was in her own little zone, and barely listened, as she launched another one, directly aimed at Weiss, who simply caught it with a glyph, and redirected it back at her. Nora grinned, and transformed Magnhild to its hammer form, hitting the grenade back, and sending it flying, this time at Penny.

"Ahh!" Penny flew out of the way, barely avoiding the projectile.

"Nora watch it!" Ren decided to try his luck in reaching out to Nora, and this time, she snapped out of it and looked at them.

"hehe, Sorry..." She shrugged, and the fight kept on going. She decided to stop with the grenades for now, and switched her stance, delivering a massive hammer swing at Yang, and caught her hammer with the Dust Celica, and the two wrestled with each other, fighting for balance. Ruby tried to break it up by attacking Nora, but Penny kept her on her toes, while Jaune tried to cooperate with her, and work his own swings in between her blades, while Ren and Weiss were stuck shooting dust bullets and elemental shots at each other.

"Take THIS!" Ruby activated her silver eyes, accelerating her thought process, and suddenly, avoiding the two of them became much more manageable. She dealt with Jaune first, knocking him backward, before jumping up with her semblance, catching Penny off guard, giving Blake just the window of opportunity she needed to tip the scales. She created two sentient clones, one of them assisting Weiss in her own skirmish, while the other came to slash at Nora, who had to jump back, allowing Yang to free herself as well, and finally do a ground pound, sending a shockwave all around her, from which Ren staggered back and fell.

"Ren's out!" She called, seeing his aura was already low enough, and from there, routing the rest of JNPR was not as difficult, seeing as they were outnumbered plus unsynchronized, at least for now.

"Well, you did your best." Ruby came to Jaune once the fight was over, and helped him up. "For your first fight, you actually gave us quite a run for our money."

"We still have a lot of work to do, though." Jaune stated. "Ren! We need to talk strategy later, okay?"

Ren nodded in agreement. Out of all of his team, Ren himself was never the fighter. No, his true strength came from his intellect, giving him a very sharp intuition and analyzing abilities to work with. So much so, that it became a habit for Jaune to sit with him at the end of each mission and talk about the flaws they had in their formation and how to improve upon them, which became more crucial than ever, considering their new teammate.

"This should do for today." Ruby decided. "I'm pretty tired myself, so for now, let's head back and rest. We'll meet here tomorrow as well to continue." She said as the group headed back to the school.

* * *

During the night, Yang couldn't sleep. Thoughts about her mother and her fate kept on bothering her, and no matter how hard she tried, Yang couldn't bring herself to doze off, even for a minute. The mere notion that her mother was out there, possibly hurting someone made her both angry and sad at the same time, and soon, it became unbearable. She headed outside, sneaking out of bed and trying not to wake Blake up, and headed outside, for some fresh air.

"You okay?" She heard her girlfriend's voice come from behind her, Blake already knowing her sleeping habits good enough to notice when she gets up without telling her.

"I don't know, Blake... I mean, I know what she had become, but this is still my mother we're talking about, you know?" Yang was worried. "How can I be sure that I can end her when the time comes, or even save her?"

"Because you're you." Blake came in close, and hugged her. "I'll be with you either way, so don't worry. We'll get through this."

Yang didn't say anything, and just let the moment drag on, feeling Blake's aura brush against her own. The tranquility of the present soothed her, and soon, she felt a little better. "You're right. I might not know what the future holds, but we'll face it as one." The two sat in silence for a few short minutes watching the clear skies above them.

"I wonder what happened to it." Yang said.

"The moon?" Blake looked at the empty skies as well. Ever since the moon was gone, the night only felt more and more hostile towards them, but nonetheless, they stayed, not letting the fear get to them.

"Yeah. I guess we'll just have to try and find out what happened to it eventually, huh?"

"I guess we will..." Blake drifted off, being tired herself, and fell asleep, embraced by her partner. Yang, on her end, just let Blake have her rest, while looking at the night sky, thinking about what is to come.

* * *

"Are you all ready?" Glynda asked them one more time before they boarded the aircraft. The two weeks have passed, and by now, each of them was ready, now more than ever.

"Yeah." Ruby gave her a faint smile, coupled with a small sigh, and looked at her team. Each of the three girls looked back at her, eyes filled with determination and hope, as teams RWBY and JNPR boarded, and took their seats.

_Next stop, Vacuo._ She thought to herself as they ascended, and took to the sky above.


	52. Strife At The Desert

As the group entered Vacuo's territorial skies, Yang could feel them pierce the dark cloud that signaled her mother's presence. A few minutes after entering it, she could already feel the many auras of the people of Vacuo flicker around the desert kingdom, much to her relief to see they are still fine, if not for their slightly apathetic state, which was the norm for them for quite a while. As far as Yang was able to tell, the theme of shutting out the outside was recurring throughout the citizens of Vacuo, as though many of them wanted to ignore the ever rising threat of the grimm on the outside, letting the huntsmen roaming the outskirts of the kingdom take care of them, while they sat in their own little houses, safe from the dangers of the world. She could not tell if these was how things were before the fall of Vale, but nonetheless, reality stood before her as it were, nothing changing. Within the darkness, Yang already tried to sniff out her mother's presence, but alas, either the darkened aura she saw last time just wasn't there anymore, or it was so spread out, she couldn't pinpoint any exact location for it. She looked around, and saw her friends, some asleep, some not, as they inched closer and closer to the airship ferry, and prepared to land.

"Ladies and gentlemen, our flight has ended." The gentle of the flight attendant echoed through the aircraft, and it ceased to move. "Please, don't forget any personal belongings you might have left on the hovercraft, and thank you for choosing our services."

Yang looked for a brief minute at her right arm, covered by bandages again. The one, most noticeable thing about her online was her Dust Celica, and since Glynda advised them to stay under the radar, she decided to wear a bandage again to cover the Dust Celica. She tried to move it a little, and felt the leather brush against the crystal, as it irritated her slightly.

"Well, I believe we should head out." Penny said, and got up, stretching slightly. She was the only one not to sleep through the entire flight, which took almost twenty hours.

"I guess..." Yang got up, and promptly woke Blake as well, by scratching her under her chin. Blake's purring was halted abruptly, as she opened her eyes to see her lover stare directly at her, grinning.

"Yang!..." Blake was a little startled, but soon calmed down as she looked around and her awareness of her surroundings kicked in. "Could you not do that while we're in public?"

"Sorry Blakey," Yang smiled. "But I had to wake you up _somehow._ "

Blake only replied with a slight scrawl, and soon, she and the rest of the team were all up, grabbing their bags and heading out to Vacuo. As soon as they stood on the kingdom's sandy grounds, Ruby picked up her scroll, and contacted Glynda, reporting to her about their arrival, and getting the information about the hotel that was rented for them while they stayed in Vacuo, the night sky stretching far above them, completely black.

"I have the address. Let's go." Ruby told the seven huntsmen, and pointed in the direction they had to go in. Before they could do anything, though, Weiss came up to her, and flicked her hood over her head.

"Hey, wh-"

"Just keep it on." Weiss explained. "If anyone here saw your face, the whole undercover motif would be gone. Your eyes would definitely give you away."

"...Yeah. Good call, Weiss." Ruby agreed, and stretched her hood all over her head, leaving her with just enough space to see what is around her, without letting her own face to be shown.

* * *

As they walked through the streets of Vacuo, the silence caught their attention almost immediately. For a kingdom known for its wild livelihood, it was quite peculiar to see virtually no traces of night life existed there at the moment, only the occasional bat or bird flying by. The houses they passed by had light in them, that much was true, and yet, almost no one was seen outside. As for the streets themselves, Vacuo looked very old-fashioned: Everything was old or at least old-like, many of the buildings had their bricks show on the walls, and while the main and bigger streets had proper roads to house cars and other vehicles on, many of the side allies didn't even have bricks or any sort of constructed floor on them, letting the sand flow freely through it. The air itself, too, was a lot cleaner then what the remembered in New Vale, and so far, it was a nice change of pace.

"I think I see it." Jaune pointed towards the bigger building standing in their vicinity, light shining all over it. Ruby checked the address again, just to make sure, and it confirmed to her that he was right.

"Okay, once we're inside, and we have our rooms, we need to have a little meeting, to decide where to go from there." Ruby told them, and they entered the establishment, only to see a grand looking reception hall stand before them. They went over to the desk and picked up the keys, paid for in advance by Glynda, and after about fifteen minutes, they converged in team RWBY's room, sitting on the two beds in there, and Ruby, after waiting for everyone to arrive, opened her mouth.

"Okay, from here on out, this is the game plan:" She started. "Yang, you're on Raven duty. Keep a close eye on things in Vacuo, and try to find her using your aura sight. Jaune, your team is less publicly known than the four of us. You will go into the city itself and try to find out if anyone has seen Raven enter the city, though I doubt she will. As for me, Weiss and Blake, we will head outside the city borders, and search around the outskirts for any semblance of grimm activity there. If there's grimm, there's Raven. Everyone got that?"

They all nodded, having no objections to her plan.

"Also, Yang, I want you with our team as well. There's the chance this is a trap, meant to lure us out of New Vale, and I will not let anyone on any of our teams stay alone, at all costs. Jaune, this applies to your team as well, especially Penny."

"Got it." While they were a conjoined team, the general consensus was that Ruby should call the shots, having her team had to deal with Raven before.

"Well, everyone get a good rest for now. We leave in an hour. I want to go under the cover of darkness." Ruby concluded, and the groups split up, team JNPR going to their designated room, to rest a bit and prepare for the mission.

"Hey, Ruby." Yang turned to her after they left their room. "I know it's hard, but I really think you should tone down the seriousness, at least for the time being."

"How can I?" Ruby replied. "We have a job to do. That's the life we chose as huntresses, isn't it?"

"Well, yeah..." Yang scratched her head. "But that doesn't mean we should lose ourselves to this job. You're becoming more and more like Weiss, Ruby, or at least what Weiss used to be."

Ruby reflected on what her sister said for a moment, and took a moment to look inside. In an essence, Yang was right, and now, Ruby was aware of this change in her. She looked at it, and it became weird to her to see herself talk and act like a war veteran.

"...I suppose you have a point." Ruby tried to fake a smile, but Yang saw through her.

"Come here." Yang called her over, and placed the Dust Celica on her heart, pulsing her own aura through Ruby's body. It felt strange, in a way, to see her use this ability of hers for noncombat purposes, and yet, the nothingness that emanated from her aura managed to calm Ruby down a bit, and slowly, her face relaxed, and her fake smile turned genuine quite quickly.

"Thanks, Yang. This actually feels nice..." Ruby hummed and sunk deeper into the feeling of her sister's aura, touching her directly. The warmth washed over her, wave after wave, and soon, the whole stress from the mission was gone.

"Well, you can ask me to do this anytime, sis." Yang smiled at her back.

"We should head out." Blake intervened, sheathing her weapon and strapping them to her back. "The more time we waste here, the more time we give Raven."

"Yeah, you're right." Ruby smiled, trying to cheer herself up a bit, and picked up Crescent Rose, collapsing it and placing it on her back. They all prepared, and soon after, team RWBY was already of the streets, heading out to the border. Upon arrival, they noticed a resting station for huntsmen, complete with some supplies, on which they stocked upon, before leaving the city limits, and heading out to the desert sands that stretched before them, as far as the eye could see.

"Yang? Anything?" Ruby turned to her sister. Yang closed her eyes, and focused on the Dust Celica, aiming to find something in the endless blackness before her. Unlike before though, where she looked for auras in order to identify the void in between, this time Yang was looking directly for the void, which made things a lot harder on her.

 _Come on , Yang. You can do this..._ She redoubled her senses, and peered even deeper into the night, looking for a shred of her mother's soul by which to track her. Alas, no matter how much she tried, aside from the stray soul of a huntsman here and there, Yang just couldn't find anyone, and gave up for now, opening her eyes in disappointment.

"It's okay, she's still out there, and I promise you we're going to find her." Blake put her hand on Yang's shoulder. The group marched on into the sands, with Yang occasionally using her Dust Celica to try and track down her mother, while Ruby, Weiss, and Blake handled the grimm that were attracted to Yang and her enhanced aura. The desert grimm were a lot different than Ruby knew, and so far, the only familiar grimm she saw were king taijus, one of which was currently slithering towards her, only to be stopped by Weiss' sword, piercing the black head, and freezing the beast momentarily until the white head took over, which was promptly chopped by Blake.

"...Nope. Nothing again..." Yang sighed, and the group went on. All the while, Jaune and him team were constantly in contact with them, sharing as much information as they could between the two teams. From what JNPR could tell, no one saw any woman befitting Raven's description roaming the streets.

"There is, however, another thing," Jaune told her. "Apparently, a woman came by one of the places we checked out earlier, saying some creepy lady with a large katana and a grimm mask was chasing after her. From what they told us, after refusing to help her, she fled to the desert, to try and disappear."

"We'll check it out, then" Ruby hung up the scroll and turned to her sister. "Yang, change of plans. We have to track a living soul roaming the desert at this hour."

"Okay, you're the boss." Yang sighed and held up the Dust Celica again. It took her less than a few minutes to chart out all the auras around them currently, and as she looked, Yang searched for any soul that looked distressed.

"Wait, I think I see something." Yang focused on one of the auras. From what she could tell, that aura was indeed in trouble, being surrounded by grimm on all directions. "She's in serious trouble! We have to go help her right away!" Yang began to run towards the aura, the rest of her team following her closely. As they got closer, the amount of grimm around them only increased, and yet, none of them seemed to be interested in team RWBY, even Yang.

"What's happening?" Ruby asked out loud, as they approached the human figure, standing in the center if the grimm. Here and there, they could feel tremors hit them as the ground shook wildly, and rock flew about, smashing grimm all over the place. A silverpelt Came at the woman, but she merely prepared her weapon, a large two-sided spear, and stabbed the large fox grimm, sending it flying away from her, as the rest of its pack lounged at her as well. She fought bravely, but in the end, the sheer number of grimm out there was overwhelming, and team RWBY knew that if they didn't do anything soon, her life would be lost on the spot. She stepped back for a moment, having to rest, as a nevermore came from above, about to devour her.

"Look out!" Ruby activated her silver eyes, filling her with power, as her enhanced semblance allowed her to reach the women in a blink of an eye, and intercept the grimm attacking her. She slashed it with Crescent Rose, slicing the nevermore in half, leaving only a dissipating corpse behind. Ruby turned back to her, checking her condition. "You alright?"

"You... You're the angel, aren't you?" The woman asked her. On a quick glance, Ruby could tell she was no older than her big sister, and she reached out to her with her hand, helping the girl up. "Yeah, but we can talk about this later, AFTER we've dealt with the grimm."

"You got it!" The girl smiled, and readied her weapon, dashing at more of the grimm that came at them. A king Taiju came close to her, but before she could hit it, Weiss was already there, using her glyphs to surround the grimm, and slice at it with the knight's blade all over the place. Meanwhile, Yang, having unleashed the Dust Celica, was busy punching many of the grimm into the ground, while Blake kept on the crowd control, managing the smaller, yet larger groups on her own.

"Damn, you kids are good at this." The new girl grinned. "But I think now it's MY turn" She said as her eyes began to glow with radiant brown. She raised her weapon, and slammed the ground beneath her, sending another tremor at the grimm, and killing many of them, not paying much attention to team RWBY, who had to jump into the air to avoid her attack.

"Hey, watch it!" Weiss called. "You could've killed us with that!"

"Oops, sorry." She lied, and went back to fighting, this time at the very least trying to keep her power under control. Another pack of silverpelts came at her, and the tremor that ensued sent them flying away. This was her main way of fighting so far, and she barely used her own weapon, even though she looked just as proficient at it as with her other power.

The assault kept on coming, and so far, the four huntresses and their ally were able to keep a firm stance, fighting the grimm. It was starting to become tough, though, and Ruby wanted to finish this as soon as she could.

She was strong, but the constant fighting and abuse of her powers made her tire out quite quickly, and before long, she fell to the ground from fatigue, Ruby having to catch her before she hit the ground.

"Yang! Healing!" Ruby called to her, and the team's formation changed, with Weiss and Blake keeping the pressure on the grimm, while Yang came to heal the girl, and Ruby waiting for her to get there, only to join the others the moment she could. The second Yang began her healing process, the grimm around them bellowed and roared seemingly aggravated by the Dustmaster's aura, as their attacks intensified, forcing Ruby to rely on her silver eyes more and more.

 _Hmm..._ Yang thought to herself as she pressed the Dust Celica against the girl's chest, and connected her aura to her's letting the exhaustion wash away from her body. _Why does her aura move so eccentrically?..._ Yang has never seen or felt anything like it. From afar, her aura looked like any other, but on close inspection, Yang could tell that a few things were off: First of all, while it didn't seem to affect her, the girl's aura had a tiny, almost unnoticeable trace of darkness in it. It was barely there, but Yang's eyes didn't lie. Besides that, the sheer way it moved was strange all on its own, moving in unrecognizable patterns and shapes that didn't make any sense. Nonetheless, Yang was able to heal her, and saw as the girl's vitality was slowly restored to her, and she opened her eyes, gazing directly at the Dustmaster's golden eyes.

"Like what you see?" She asked cockingly.

Yang sighed. "I'm already taken." Her gaze turned slightly to Blake, still fighting, and she got up, looking to assist her. "And since you seem alright for now, I suggest we go back to business." She readied the Dust Celica, brushing a purple dust crystal on it, and dashed at one of the grimm attacking Blake, punching it directly. The grimm flew back, only to be affected by the gravity dust, as it became a living magnet, drawing other grimm to it by force. Ruby came to the cluster of blackness, and focused her silver eyes, directing the energy outside this time instead of flowing it back into her body. A white light covered the entire area, and it shortly subsided, leaving nothing behind it, and she went back to fighting the rest of the grimm. By now, their numbers were diminished, and Yang could see a little more clearly around them.

"Guys, look out. I think I'm seeing something coming." Yang warned the rest of the group, only to be caught by complete surprise as Raven herself tore apart a rift in reality, and stepped forth, brandishing her blade.

"Mom..." Yang looked at her disheartened and saddened, and prepared for her mother to try and take her life once more. Instead, Raven walked past her, and directed her blade directly at the other girl, dashing at her and trying to kill her instead, only to be stopped by Ruby at the last second.

"It ends now, Raven!" Ruby called, and her silver eyes flared brightly. She charged at the masked woman, trying to cut her in half. Raven, on her end, easely dodged, and kicked Ruby from behind, sending her away.

"Ruby!" Weiss called, and ran up to her, holding the huntress until she managed to heal. She would've called Yang to help, but right now they needed each capable fighter they had against Raven.

"No... What the hell do you WANT?!" The girl screamed, and her eyes flared brown again, sending a tremor in her direction. Raven jumped out of the way, and drew her sword, coming close to the girl, leaving Blake and Yang with little time to react. Yang acted first, and stepped in between the two, letting the Dust Celica's form become unhinged and loose, and it morphed by her instinct's command, turning into a hardened, shield-like plate. It felt weird to let her fingers go like that, as her entire right arm became strange and distorted in her mind, but nonetheless, Yang pushed on, blocking her mother's katana for just enough time to let the girl get out of there, safe and sound, with Blake rushing in, Wilt & Blush in hand. She jumped and tried to decapitate Raven, who broke up contact with her daughter, and instead of attacking her target like before, she turned her attention to the faunus, clashing her blade against hers, creating a standstill, while Yang tried to get close too. All of a sudden, Raven raised her free hand, and a black tendril came out of it, grabbing her hand, and not allowing her to move at all.

"Let go of me!" Yang called and struggled, but to no avail. Raven's grip was too powerful for her to break free from, as it became apparent that she was only made more powerful after her defeat at Beacon. "I said, LET, GO!" Yang thought quickly, and tried to shapeshift her arm again, to weasel out of Raven's now transformed limb. When she saw that its size changed to fit her Dust Celica, effectively not letting her any chance of escape, Yang got an interesting idea, and instead of trying to release herself, and instead turned the Dust Celica into a polearm, and extended it as much as she could, aiming for Raven's abdomen, where the black scarring from their last fight still remained. At this range, Raven had no other choice but to break her hold on Blake and Yang, leaving the two to be able to regroup with Ruby and Weiss, who shortly joined up on the attack.

"You okay Rubes?" Yang asked her while brushing a red crystal on the Dust Celica, and firing various fireballs at her mother, who blocked each one.

"Don't worry! Just leave it to me!" Ruby called and dashed forwards, swinging her weapon at the fallen huntress, while Raven somehow managed to handle the two of them at the same time. Weiss and Blake joined up as well, and all four of them came at Raven, shots and swings filling the air, as Raven started conjuring more and more tentacles of pure blackness, trying to restrain them as much as she could while they constantly broke each other out of her grasp. The battle was clearly tipped in their favor, and while RWBY were busy dealing with Raven, the fifth girl saw in the corner of her eye a shadowy figure standing in quite the distance from them, waving its hand above the ground and calling forth even more lesser grimm to fight them. She turned her attention to the growing horde, and unleashed the full might of her abilities, sending the earth's very wrath at the black beasts, rending them asunder with ease.

team RWBY were at their last grasp. For how much they have gotten stronger, Raven was apparently infused with even more power, and her attacks were relentless and brutal. Ruby came at her once again, closely followed by Weiss, as the two combined Ruby's shots with Weiss' glyphs, trying to freeze down their opponent, only for Raven to retaliate by simply slashing the bullets at speeds Ruby didn't even know she was capable of. Raven channeled her faux aura through her sword, raising it to the air, and struck the ground, unleashing a terrible wave of pure miasma and destruction, aimed at the four girls.

"Oh no you DON'T!" Ruby jumped in, and unleashed her silver eyes at their full power. Ruby's aura clashed with Raven's attack, and the two waves of energy wrestled for dominance.

"We have to escape!" Yang called out to her. At this rate, they would run out of aura themselves, and from there, the battle could only go downhill. Ruby heard her, though unable to verbally or physically reply, tried to flaunt her aura in a way Yang could understand. She did, and she, Weiss, and Blake went on to finish the lesser grimm off as soon as possible, clearing out an escape path.

"Ruby, let's go!" The moment Ruby heard those words, she unleashed one last pulse of aura, using it as to cover her escape as she used the remains of her aura to get out of there, joining up with the rest of her team while they and their new companion dashed through the desert, heading towards the Vacuo's main city.

"Stop." Raven came to chase after them, but the voice of the grimm knight, holding her shoulder forcibly, halted her movement. "Lady Salem has decreed unto me that the next attack shall be done in their cities. We will break their hope, and kill out whatever measly defenses they could muster."

Raven nodded as she let her own aura regenerate, preparing for the moment she could kill the maiden.

* * *

The group ran through the desert, trying to reach the city borders as soon as they could. All the while, heated glances were darted at the new girl, running with them, and her sandy brown hair, coupled with flimsy looking top and dress, and very high boots.

"So, any explanation as to WHY would all the grimm at the desert would be gunning for you?" Weiss asked her sternly.

"Well..." She tried to avoid the answer, but Weiss' glare left her with little choice.

"Also, what's your name, anyway? We haven't managed to ask you while we were fighting." Ruby joined up on the interrogation.

"Look, I'll tell you, but you have to swear that what I'm about to say would NEVER leave this conversation." Yang looked as her aura started to twitch with genuine fear. She was serious about this.

"Don't worry; we won't." Yang reassured her, and the girl grinned for a bit, turning to the group.

"My name is Heath Solstice, and I am the current summer maiden."


	53. Life Of A Maiden

"Wait, A maiden?"

None of the team could believe their ears. So far, all they knew about the four maidens was from the old legend, told to them by their parents, and by old books. From what they knew, at some distant point in the past, a lonely wizard, isolated in his home from the rest of the world, was one day visited by four sisters, each of them in her own way bestowing upon him a renewed love for life. In his gratitude, the old hermit took all of his power, and split it apart into four, giving each of them a portion of his power, before they left, to use their newfound gift to help others around the world.

"Yup. Pretty much." The girl named Heath Solstice, who ran beside them as they approached Vacuo's main city replied. "I am, in fact, the current Summer Maiden. The one from the legends." She said with a really cocky tone in her voice, which managed to irritate Weiss a tiny bit.

"And what? Just because you have some powers makes you better than any of us? How the hell did you even get those powers in the get go? Shouldn't the maiden's powers have died with them?" Weiss went on and on, bombarding Heath with an endless barrage of questions about the nature of her power. For Weiss, nothing was unexplainable. If something happened, there had to be a reason for it, and Weiss was going to find that out, no matter the cost.

"I have to say, I am sort of interested as well." Ruby joined her up on the questions. _If the maidens are real, and my silver eyes were just as much as a legend as they were, I wonder if there are more like us out there..._ She considered the possibility for a moment, before dropping the issue. Right now, fairy tales and myths were obsolete. Grimm were on the rise, and for Ruby, keeping those she cared about safe was of the utmost importance.

"Well, as for how I got my powers, I truly have no idea. One day I was just a normal gal, living my mundane life, then BOOM! Suddenly maiden."

"Impossible." Weiss decreed. "There had to be a reason."

"I swear it's true!" Heath persisted. "You can ask the people that approached me when I first got those powers, though. They are bound to know more, right?"

"And who're they?" At this point, even Yang was genuinely curious, and the whole group listened to Heath as she came to explain. By now, they reached the city limits, and after making sure no grimm, especially no fallen huntresses or knights, followed them, they took a short break to rest from the fighting, before going inside the city itself.

"Oh, some gray-haired guy that mostly wears green. He was from Vale, Sorry, New Vale as it is now, if I recall." Heath scratched her head while trying to remember. "There was also this really drunk guy with him. I think his name was Bird, or something, but it was quite a long time ago, so I don't really remember."

"Oh really now..." Ruby raised her eyebrow in disbelief. To her, the two men the summer maiden was talking about were pretty obvious, and she decided to look into things as soon as she was able.

"But please, don't mention this to anybody!" Heath cried out of nowhere. "They warned me, to never tell ANYONE about these powers. I've always tried to put them to good use, but not being able to tell anyone about them is really hard. I've even resorted to night hunting so that I can conceal my abilities under the cover of darkness."

"Oh, don't worry." Yang replied, with slight anger building up in her voice. Like Ruby, it was evident to her who was she referring to, and the two sisters, along with Weiss and Blake, exchanged heated glances, knowing what was about to come next.

"We won't tell a soul..."

* * *

After entering the city, and reaching their hotel, it was decided that Heath would stay with them, at least for the night, just to make sure everything was fine. Luckily, Glynda gave them a room with four beds in it, so they had two to spare, having slept with each other was the norm at this point. The moment Heath went to the showers, to clean herself up, Ruby immediately pulled up her scroll, and called up her uncle, putting him on speaker.

"Oh hey, kid." Qrow looked a little confused. "Shouldn't be reporting to Glynda instead of me?" He said as he noticed the pissed off faces of the entire group.

"Not when there's MAIDEN involved." Ruby spat at him, and all of a sudden, Qrow's face shifted almost entirely, turning from his usual lazy looking, gruff face to the same expression he had on himself almost throughout the entire war.

"Wait you found HER? She TOLD you?" His voice was a lot more quiet, and they could see him look around, making sure no one else was listening.

"Yeah. She did, right after we saved her from Raven." Yang answered to him this time.

"Well, shit..." Qrow looked more and more agitated. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" He quickly tapped through his own scroll, and Glynda's face became visible on the screen, as the conversation became a group chat.

"Glynda, we have a situation." Qrow told her.

"What's wrong?"

"Our worst fears have been confirmed. _You know who_ Is targeting _them._ " He had to use code words. Under no circumstances could they allow anyone outside of their own little circle hear any of this, and Ruby's remark earlier was not helpful in the least.

"Then what do we do?" She asked him, becoming stern and serious as well.

"Listen, girls," Qrow addressed team RWBY directly. "The mission has changed: You are now to protect _her_ from Raven, at all costs. I don't care what happens; we can't let _them_ fall into _her_ hands." He continued. When Qrow thought about it, it was a little strange that the fall maiden's powers haven't manifested in another young woman after Cinder's death. At first, he contributed this to the fact that Cinder was a grimm, and the maiden's powers were bullshit enough when it came to moving from host to host, so in his mind it made sense. However, now that it was confirmed Salem was after them, the possibility that the fall's powers transferred from Cinder to Salem in some way became more and more likely.

Ruby looked at her team for a moment, and turned to Qrow. "What about JNPR?"

"Update them, but keep them in the dark as to _her_ true nature." Qrow pondered about it for a minute before returning to them. "We have to maintain the smallest number of people in the know about this."

"But why?" Blake had to ask. "Wouldn't they do a better job of protecting _her_ if they knew who they were protecting?"

"Out of the question." Qrow shot her idea down, and closed his eyes for a minute, shaking his head. "Look, this is how Ozpin did things when it concerned _them_ for as long as I knew him. Keeping that a secret is a must, unless you want another silver eyes incident on our hands." Ruby bit her lip as she heard him say that. "Right now, public consciousness is not aware of _them,_ and I want to keep it that way."

"...Fine." Ruby begrudgingly agreed. All the while, she couldn't accept Qrow treating her reveal to the world as an 'incident'. It took her much too long to accept it as her life to just now hear someone regretted it ever happening. "We'll keep it under wraps."

"Great." Qrow nodded, as he noticed a figure exit from the showers behind them.

"Hey, guys, who're talk- Oh hey!" She noticed the familiar man on the screen. "Haya! Long time no see, huh?!"

"Yeah, sure. Listen, I'll catch up with you all later, I have to go." He said and abruptly hung up the scroll. He couldn't have anyone finding about Heath, in particular through a chat conversation.

"Uhh, he hung up..." She said with a hint of sadness.

"Well, that's my uncle for ya." Ruby returned to her more cheerful state. "Always hanging up just when you want to talk."

"He's your uncle?! That's SO cool!" Heath excitingly jumped in place. "I only met him once, like, years ago."

"Well, no matter." Weiss cut in. "Right now, we have some other people to introduce you to." She nodded at Ruby, who opened up her scroll again, and this time texted Jaune and him team to retreat for now, and meet them in team RWBY's room. After about thirty minutes of waiting, a knock was heard at the door, and when they opened it, team JNPR came in, looking at the new girl with them. The moment she came in, Penny started to hover around, having to hide her flight capabilities when they roamed the nearly empty streets of Vacuo.

"So Jaune, meet Heath Solstice. Our mission, for now, is to leave Raven and guard her instead."

"What?" Jaune was understandably confused hearing that. "And what makes her so important that she takes higher priority than Raven, who I remind you is still out there."

"Well, I'll have YOU know that I am the-" Heath, in a fit of trust, almost spilled her secret to the JNPR, only to be stopped by Yang at the last minute, who covered her mouth with the Dust Celica, expanding it a bit just to make sure she couldn't say anything, no matter how hard she tried.

"She is, well, she's just important, okay?" Ruby tried to explain, but nothing good came to her mind. "Look, Uncle Qrow has his own reasons to change this, and he couldn't tell us either." Of course, this was a lie, but at this point, Ruby was well adept at making her words as believable as possible. "All we have to know is that she is important, and right now safeguarding her take higher priority."

"Yang? Maybe you can shed some light on this?" Ren turned to her, knowing her aura vision was bound to pick up on something this important.

"All I could see is that _something_ was different. Can't tell what it is specifically, though. Really cryptic, even for me." Technically, she wasn't fibbing, but unlike Ruby, reading Yang when she lied, or at least bent the truth was much easier.

Jaune and Ren gave them both a bit of a dirty look, but in the end, the mission was the mission, and they were not there to have their own little fun. "Very well." Jaune finally said. "If you say she is important, then we'll keep an eye out for her too."

"Yaaay!" Heath cheered, having made at least eight new friends on the same day, which was eight more than she had before. "Now, let's all go to sleep, and tomorrow, I'll show you guys around Vacuo! It's going to be tons of fun!" She quickly got into one of the beds, and turned the lights off behind her, falling asleep rather fast. After Jaune and his team left too, preparing to sleep, team RWBY, exhausted from the say they just had, climbed onto the beds as well, and let the soothing embrace of sleep wash over them.

* * *

The next day, things were pretty hectic for the team. Their new target, now a temporary part of the roster, dragged them around the busy streets of Vacuo, looking for things to do. It was actually kind of amazing, how the same almost empty streets that unveiled before them the night before transformed into a living parade of people, colors, music and so on. Under the day sun, Vacuo looked more like a jungle than anything else, with people jaywalking all over the place, the small coffee shops bustling with customers, each of them ordering whatever they wanted, and overall, it was a pretty sight to see, especially for Yang, who had the pleasure of watching the city change with the sun in her morning meditation. The same humble auras she saw earlier were now ablaze, in a beautiful flurry of flames and colors.

"And there there's, like, the BEST hangout ever." Heath rambled on and on about literally each place they went by. The shopping district, the open, untamed fauna growing around them, even the less 'fun' sounding places had something for Heath to show them. All the while, Yang would take quick glances at her aura, both studying the dark streak that infested it, seemingly dictating her maiden status, and also just checking up on her current emotional state, seeing as she was way too overly excited to walk them around the city, and overall keep them close.

"Hey, Heath?" Yang finally approached her, after the sun was finally at it's peak above them.

"Yeah?"

"I think we should rest a little, you know? It's fun and all, but it seems to me that a lot of us are pretty tired." She wanted to see how Heath would react to slowing down her pace.

"O-oh. Okay..." She sighed sadly, and pointed towards one of the establishments near them. "There's a pretty good place there to eat, if you want..." She led them to the restaurant, if you could even call it that, and the group sat near one of the tables, waiting for the waiter that wasn't going to come. "I-It's self-service, so..." Heath got up, and walked up to the counter, placing a small order for herself, before each of the eight did the same, and they all sat down to finally rest a little.

"So, how has it been so far?" The summer maiden asked them, hints of fear revealing themselves in her voice.

"Well, so far so good." Ruby replied. "Good to know the chaos from earlier today calmed down a bit."

"Well, -" Before Heath could reply, an alarm was heard through the city.

"To all huntsmen and huntresses! Please head out to the outer border as soon as you can! A grimm onslaught is upon us! I repeat-" They didn't even wait for the PA to finish her sentence a second time before each of them steeled themselves, and got up from the table.

"You think it's her?" Ruby quickly changed the subject as the group dropped the food they had on the spot, and dashed towards the main gate, Heath having no choice but to follow them. In the end, maiden or not, they were huntsmen, and no matter what Qrow says, protecting the people from the grimm came first.

"Could be." Jaune thought out loud. "We'll have to see when we get there."

After running there as hard as they could, the group reached the outer border of Vacuo, only to behold the horrifying visage of an almost literal wall of grimm, surrounding the city, with many of the huntsmen in Vacuo already there, fighting them off.

"No..." Yang tried to avert her gaze, but no matter where she looked, the blackness was all around her. The cloud was right upon them, and at this point, it became clear that Raven was going to show up, sooner or later. "Guys, we have to stick together. She's going to be here. I just know it."

"Got it, then we have no time to lose." Ruby removed her cloak, and almost immediately, people around her turned their eyes as the silver eyed angel stood before them, gazing fiercely at the enemy standing before them.

"Oh my lord!"

"It's the angel! She's here!"

"She'll lead us through this!"

They heard the many huntsmen call one by one, as their hope burned brighter than ever, by merely being in Ruby's presence. She took advantage of this, and puffed her chest, as she assumed the angel's persona, by now being all too familiar with it.

"LISTEN! WE HAVE TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF VACUO! FIGHT WITH ME, AND WE SHALL PREVAIL!" She called on the top of her lungs, and the battle raged on, huntsmen slaying grimm by the tons. Meanwhile, Ruby herself turned to Heath, who was also quite inspired by her act.

"W-Wow, Ruby, I didn't know you were..."

"You won't be fighting." Ruby decreed while cutting her. "Instead, I want you to go to the sidelines, and wait this one out. We can't have you die out there, got it?"

Heath yelped, being turned down before even offering to help, but in the end, and quieted down and left the scene, at least standing near the gate to watch, just in case.

"Now, spread out! Kill as many as you can!" Ruby unfolded Crescent Rose, and dashed on, silver eyes flaring as she jumped into a large group of grimm, killing all of them on the spot. Yang, on her part, siphoned some earth dust from the ground, the Dust Celica gaining strands of brown, as she punched the floor, sending shockwaves at the grimm, sending the flying. Meanwhile, Weiss, already donning her armor, jumped around with her glyphs, almost teleporting through the battlefield from dead grimm to the other, and finally, Blake called upon her semblance, and her own small army of autonomous clones formed around her, as she sent them all over the battlefield, helping the rest of the huntsmen fight while taking down many of the grimm herself.

"DIE!" Ruby called, jumped on top of a large sandworm grimm, using her semblance, only empowered by her silver eyes, to knock it down, sending it to the floor and crushing many of the other grimm under its massive weight. From there, she looked into the distance, as the shapes and forms of grimm that came at them became more and more eldritch, commanding mutant and horrifying forms, the kind of which she wasn't even sure even existed before. One of the grimm, covered with clouds of miasma and poison, floated towards Ruby, the holes through its bony mask unleashing a multitude of poisonous breaths at her. Ruby glared with her silver eyes, exerting the energy outwards, as the clouds of black gas dissipated before even reaching her, and she dashed at it, slicing the abomination in half. Another one, brandishing various and numerous claws, tried to claw Ruby apart, only to be stopped by Weiss, as she jumped around the battlefield, and surrounded the unknown beast, slashing at it from all directions. It retaliated, and jumped into the air, its claws stretching and trying to trap Weiss inside of them, while the White Knight simply rotated Myrtenaster, reaching a wind-elemental crystal, as her blade and armor gained a slightly darker shade of white. She slashed her blade in the air, creating a wave of pure wind that sliced the grimm apart, leaving nothing behind but tattered remains of black ashes.

Meanwhile, Yang was on her own streak, blasting grimm apart with the Dust Celica. Her mastery over her own arm was greatly improved at this point, and as the grimm kept on coming, and either slammed the ground, shocking and staggering the grimm and giving her ample time to kill them, or used one of her dust crystals to gain the elemental advantage in the fight. Her golden eyes pierced into the black Void that currently circled Vacuo, in what has quickly become a full frontal siege or invasion, as she tried to find any faint glimpses of her mother's wavering soul, hoping some parts of it were left somewhere in there. In all the chaos yesterday, she barely managed to get a good look at her mother, and she only saw the void that filled her body, which made Yang grievously worried. One of the grimm, a flying type, though Yang didn't see any wings or other forms of levitation on it. She tried to shoot a fireball on it, spending the last portion of the red strand that appeared on the Dust Celica, only to see it quickly and nimbly dodging, and opening what she could only assume was its mouth, as it sent its gigantic tongue after her, in an attempt to consume the huntress in one, fell swoop. She saw a black flash appear before her, as Blake, the real Blake, jumped in the middle, slashing the monster apart with Wilt & Blush.

"Thanks." Yang smiled, as she readied the Dust and Blake Celicas, and used Blake's clones as a ramp to approach the now staggered grimm, punching its bony mask apart, and killing it.

"That's okay, but don't let your guard down!" Blake called out, and lounged behind Yang, killing another grimm behind her. The two stuck together, back to back, as the pile of black ooze, bones, and red eyeballs got around them, sending various grimm at the two. Blake, acting first, generated her own circle of protection, and blocked all of the attackers with her clones, giving Yang enough time to build up her aura for a finishing move. She raised the Dust Celica, as a green strand appeared on the Dust Celica, and she channeled her aura into it, creating a ball of electricity in her hands. When she released it, bolts of thunder snapped all around them, shocking the grimm, and giving the two huntresses enough time to finish them all off, before moving forward.

"Ha ha ha ha! Die, all of you!" They could all hear Nora's battle cries and wild laughter, as she swung Magnhild, and at this point, the grimm around her started to even back off, seeing as she was not even tiring for a bit. All the while, Ren dashed around, gunning down as many of them as he could, his pure dust ammunition packing quite a wallop, and he tore hordes of grimm apart. All the while, Penny, flying over the whole battlefield, with no point in keeping her identity, flicked her fingers, as her blades hovered flawlessly, massacring the grimm in her warpath group by group. A bunch of nevermores, or at least grimm that resembled nevermores in some way, came at her, sensing her artificial aura, and Penny grinned. True, her blades were mostly on the ground below her, but nevertheless, she was ready for them, as the blades turned upwards and changed into guns, creating a volley of shot that filled the air with green light and the torn corpses of several grimm.

Jaune, on the other hand, had the toughest time. While he was well adept at fighting enemies with powers far above him, like semblances, auras, maiden powers, or even the myriad of strange abilities the grimm before him exhibited, he knew that with his own semblance things would have been much easier, at least on his part. Alas, the many huntsmen surrounding him made activating it impossible, as Equalizer would only make matters worse at the moment, seeing as many of the huntsmen around him were used to having their powers unshackled by something of the sort. Nevertheless, he pushed on, as more and more grimm came to end him, and he used his sword and shield to near perfection, slicing and dicing through them without much resistance.

In the end, though, it was clear that no matter how much time they spent there, the grimm just didn't stop coming, as though Salem herself sent everything she had at Vacuo. Ruby, seeing this, quickly picked up her scroll, and used her semblance to dash back to the backlines for a few moment, to call for backup. It didn't take long, and soon she was back in action, spinning Crescent Rose around, and now it was only a matter of time until the reinforcements arrived. Ruby had an inkling that if nothing was to be done soon, the support was going to show up only to discover a kingdom filled with corpses. At last, the worse came to worst, and she could feel her aura starting to deplete, and she turned off her silver eyes, returning the flow of aura to its regular course, and fought on.

* * *

Heath couldn't stand it anymore.

The life of a maiden was never an easy one, and she was well aware of that. When she first became a maiden, against her will, she was approached by two men, who explained her new life to her. While she was allowed to roam Remnant, she was coerced into swearing to never reveal her secret to the world. As time passed, her friends, growing distrustful of her due to her secretiveness, turned away from her, leaving the girl all on her own. The only ones that knew were her parents, and it would have been enough, until the other ugly side of maidenhood reared its head, and her parents were killed in an attempt to get to her, while she herself was not even in Vacuo at the moment. In the end, Heath was alone in the world, with no one to care for her, without even proper training, as she gradually learned her role as the summer maiden, and unleashed the earth's wrath of the creatures of grimm that tried to enter her kingdom.

Or at least, she used to be alone.

It was brief, sure. Even fleeting, but in the end, she saw the eight huntsmen that came to her aid as her friends, for as little as it counted. True, Ruby told her to wait on the sidelines, and not engage, but Heath was always the active type, not the passive. At first, it looked like they could manage the battle just fine, and everything would be alright, but now, things became more and more bleaker, and she realized that no matter what happened, help was not going to come on time.

And this time, she was going to act.

Heath focused, drawing on the ancient power that stirred inside of her, as she called upon the power of the summer maiden, her eyes starting to glow brown. She dashed forth, to where Ruby was, pulling her double headed spear on the way, and stabbing several grimm, coupled with some precise boulders, as she managed to clear a path to the angel.

"Heath, what're you-"

"I won't stand there while you all get slaughtered!" She called, and turned to face the black armada that towered before them. "Vacuo is my city too! I won't let them harm it!"

She jumped to the air, focusing on her power, as she landed, sending tremors all around her, the tables of the fight turned. Slowly, many of the huntsmen turned their attention to her tenacity and strength, seeing such a relatively young woman kill such huge numbers of grimm all on her own. She didn't care anymore for her title and secrets, letting the full force of the maiden within her out. Ruby, on her part, had no idea what has gone into her, and decided to roll with it, utilizing the chaos she created in the grimm's ranks to break through them even further, reaching the towering pile of black sludge from which the grimm formed, and started to purify it with her silver eyes, killing off their very source. Unfortunately, for aura was on the very last verge of power she had, and she turned to her sister.

"Yang! Help me!" She called out, as team RWBY assumed their healing formation, Yang supplying Ruby with the aura to fuel the silver eyes and dispose of the grimm completely, while Blake and Weiss joined forces in keeping the area clean and safe.

As the holes in their defenses became larger and larger, Heath could see into the desert beyond it, and what she saw scared her: The woman, that the others identified as Raven, just stood there. Waiting. She looked, and for a second, Heath could have sworn that the woman was looking directly at her, as if to taunt her and give her a challenge. Soon, it became clear to her: In the end, the grimm wanted _her_ , not the others. She stopped all of the sudden with her assault on their forces, and turned to the fallen huntress, shouting as hard as she could.

"HEY, YOU! IF YOU REALLY WANT TO GET TO ME, WHY NOT TAKE ON THE SUMMER MAIDEN YOURSELF?!" She called out loud without thinking. Almost in an instant, the grimm siege ceased, and they cleared a path, letting the summer maiden through, much to the astonishment and bewilderment of the huntsmen all around her. As she came to confront Raven, Yang and the team tried to stop her.

"What are you doing?!" Yang called out loud. "Do you have any idea what're you up against?!" She looked, only to see the maiden's aura was as sure as she could possibly be. There was not taking her out of it at this point.

"I may joke around. I may be a bit of a klutz. I may even be lonely in the world." She said as her eyes glowed brighter and brighter.

"But Vacuo is MY home, and I won't let them hurt anyone who lives in it!"

She put on a serious face, as she stepped forth, readying her weapon as Raven and her dashed towards each other.


	54. Darkened Summers

The summer maiden stood there, in front of the woman in charge of the grimm attacking her kingdom, a determined look on her face. For now, the command to explicitly attack Vacuo had ceased, and the grimm were acting on their own, mindlessly trying to kill and consume the huntsmen that stood in their way for a kingdom-sized meal, the letters fighting back with everything they had. So far, Ruby had managed to disable of the spawning grounds that emerged around the desert kingdom, and Heath was ready to finish Raven off, and go help her new friends with the protection of Vacuo. The two gazed at each other, completely silent, until the irritation from saying nothing got the better of Heath, and she opened her mouth.

"What? Got nothing to say?"

Raven didn't say anything back, and simply drew her sword, preparing for battle. Heath, on her end, raised her two headed spear back at Raven, and once again, they stopped moving, waiting for the other to make the first step, while the darkness gathered around Raven, surrounding her with a visible black glow, while Heath tapped once again to the well of power within her, as a brown line circled her eyes, and the ground began to tremble at her every minute movement.

"I thought so."

Heath flexed her entire body, and the earth answered her call, a wave of sand and rock throwing itself at her opponent. It roared in Raven's direction, gathering more and more earth with it on the way, until an almost literal tsunami of brown came crashing at the fallen huntress. Raven, on her part, sheathed her sword back into the blade barrel on her side, letting it spin for a short while, before landing upon a brown colored crystal of her own, pulling the new blade, and channeling her faux aura through it, triggering the dust within. With a single slash, she tore apart the wave of earth the summer maiden produced, dashing through it, and coming directly at her, intending on ending her life right there and then. Heath saw her coming, and readied her weapon, the two blades clashing and sending an audible sound wave all around them, as the two jumped back, and prepared for another attack.

This time, Raven acted first, and used her speed to jump into the air, coming down at the maiden with incredible tenacity, leaving the girl with little choice but go on the defensive, and, using the maiden's powers once again, rose a barrier of rock to defend her body. The moment Raven's blade struck the stone, Heath jumped back, and stomped the ground, creating another tremor all around her, hoping this would disorient Raven, while she herself was more than used to her own earthquakes. To her dismay, Raven seemed nearly unphased by her little stunt, and a few seconds later, she was already on the move, charging through the sands while keeping herself close to the ground, and gunning for Heath once more.

"Gotcha Bitch!" Heath called out, and made another quake, this time managing to trap Raven, who's proximity to the ground below her backfired, and she was trapped under a pile of dirt.

"Check-mate" Heath said mockingly, and started to walk away, not noticing the black and crimson rip in space that appeared behind her. Raven dashed through, blade at the ready, only for Heath to notice at the very last second, sensing something was behind her, and she jumped to the side, Raven missing her by a hair's length.

"Wha!- How did you!-" She asked out loud shockingly, while Raven turned to her once again, and attempted to drive her sword through the maiden's chest. Heath jumped back, Swinging her spearheads around in retaliation, but to her surprise, Raven was just as nimble and agile as her, if not more, and her blade changed direction just as fast, clashing again against each other. From there, the two got locked into single combat, exchanging blows to and fro, each one coming at the other with full killing intent. Heath, trying to catch Raven off guard again, sought to fake herself losing control, and purposely slipped, making it seem like she was about to fall to the ground. The moment Raven seemed to have bitten the bait, and raised her sword up high to deliver the death blow, Heath smirked, knowing she had her just where she wanted.

"Hmm! Gotcha!" She focused on the maiden's powers again, sending a pillar of earth at Raven out of nowhere, while raising another one to push her back onto her feet, stabilizing from the earlier stunt.

Raven was successfully impaled. She staggered back, a stone pillar firmly placed in her chest, and she pulled it out with all of her strength, creating the sound of several bones breaking apart. Heath cringed a bit from the awful sounds, and prepared to end the fight, coming to decapitate Raven with her weapon. As she approached, she noticed the dark strands the covered Raven come in to her aid, etching themselves onto the wound, and like the dark line on her abdomen, another one, larger this time, created itself on her chest, closing the injury with haste and supposedly taking the place of her bones as well. Alas, by now, Heath was too close to change direction, and Raven caught her, flailing her arm violently, and throwing Heath back onto the sand below her, damaging her on the way.

"No... Not yet..." Heath struggled up, as she felt each sinew in her body scream. Luckily, using the summer maiden's powers did not cost her in aura, and she tried to buy some time by not attacking, letting her aura do its job and heal her body. Having no real huntress training, Heath had no real idea what her semblance was, and as far as she was concerned, using her aura to defend her and heal were the only things she needed.

Given the tiny amount of time she had to rest, Heath tried to get up like normal, but the fatigue was starting to build up in her bones. All that running around and fighting was starting to catch up with her, and she knew that soon, she would have no physical power left to fight with, and at that point, no amount of maiden power could help her. Nevertheless, Heath carried on, sending shockwave after shockwave at her opponent, which either dodged them of sliced them off with her dust katanas. Raven went back on the offensive, this time pulling a red blade, and embedding it with her aura, created a literal flaming sword, and she swung the blade in Heath's direction, creating a wave of fire and destruction. Heath tried to defend herself once more, but some of the flames managed to pass through, scorching her slightly, and she had to rest again, but this time, had no one that could cover up for her. She took a quick glance at her back, only to see the same shadowy figure from the day before, summoning and spawning more and more grimm, merely directing them in the huntsmen's direction. Heath wanted to go back, and try and help them, but Raven left her with little room for thought, and she soon returned to the present moment, steeling herself for another assault, while trying to build up her aura. Just as she expected, Raven broke through her earthly sanctuary, a pale blue blade in her hand this time, and she sliced at Heath, who used her own weapon to block. Raven quickly jumped back to the ground, striking the earth beneath her, creating a field of frost all around them, making Heath's situation only worse. She expected something like this to happen sooner or later, but now, when she too tired to fight back with all of her might, an ice field was one of the worst possible situations to be stuck in. She jabbed her weapon at the ice, creating an anchor for herself while being held there, and her eyes flared once more, as she stomped the ice all around her, breaking it apart, and while she did reveal the ground once again, she created a veil of mist all around the two.

"Now... Where, are you..." Heath held her weapon close, and stayed vigilant on all directions, trying to pinpoint from where was Raven going to strike at her. Suddenly, she felt something come from above, as she rolled forward, Raven narrowly missing her. She didn't waste a second, quickly pulling her blade back up, and coming at Heath, her hand movements became even faster, as though up until that moment she was merely toying with the summer maiden.

"Why you little!..." Heath called in anger, and drew out whatever strength she had left, trying to keep up with the katana that came at her from seemingly every possible direction. The blade came from above, and Heath guarded against it, as Raven quickly slid her weapon out, and sent it forth in a stabbing motion, piercing through Heath's shoulder, as she shouted in pain. She staggered back, and the mist settled and everything became clear, and gave a fierce, defiant look to her opponent, before she descended upon her once again, showing little to no signs of tiresome.

From that point, the fight became pretty one sided. Heath, having both little to no aura left in her, plus having the physical strength diminished, gave out a few, final pieces of resistance to her impending fate, as Raven relentlessly kept going, pushing the summer maiden into the corner more and more. Raven came from above, and Heath blocked, and Raven in response began to strike her weapon violently again and again, intending on breaking her body completely. Heath felt like this was the last straw. Right now, it was all or nothing, and she summoned the maiden's powers once again, shaking everything around her, taking once last shot at severing the fallen huntress and ending her. Even as the ground shook increasingly hectically, she didn't let up, and the constant smashing of Heath's weapon by Raven's hand started to leave its mark, and visible cracks began to form at the shaft of the weapon. The next time the katana hit her, Heath twisted her weapon, clashing the spearhead with the dust blade, as the two interlocked, Heath not letting Raven any room to escape.

"If I die, I'm taking you with me!" She called, and a maw of earth opened itself beneath the two, growing wider and wider. Raven, thinking quickly, simply manifested another tendril, and grabbed Heath, tossing her away from her own suicide plan, while using her portals to get out of the way. The last thing Raven needed was the maiden dying, and her powers moving to another helpless girl, or in the worst case scenario, someone like Ruby or any of her friends, each of which could already pose a certain problem on their own. Once the dust settled, leaving only an open crack in the earth behind it, Raven approached the summer maiden, who somehow managed to get back up on her feet, and leaned on her weapon, her eyes barely glowing at this point.

"I-If you think I'm done, you have another thing coming!" Heath called out, and weakly stomped with her leg, sending a now weaker tremor at Raven, who wasn't even moved in the least at this point. Heath came to wave her hand, to throw another rock or something, but Raven was quicker, and dashed at her, brandishing her blade.

She sliced at Heath, severing her right arm.

Heath screamed in pain, and fell to her knees, as what was left of her right arm lied next to her. She came to raise her left hand instead, filling herself with the maiden's power, but Raven sliced again, this time chopping her left arm right off.

"You..." Heath cried faintly, barely able to pull her head to look at her. Raven came up her, and lifted her head up, grabbing it by her sandy hair. She threw the maiden's head away, and smashed her right hand against Heath's face, as one of the grimm insects residing in her body made its way outside of it, entering the girl's mouth as she screamed in pain.

* * *

The fight against the grimm horde was almost over. Ruby, with the assistance of her sister and their other teammates, managed to purify most of the black ooze that spawned the grimm at them, and she looked at the summer maiden's direction, wanting to perhaps come to help her. The sight that unfolded before her, though, only managed to send Ruby into a catatonic shock, as she saw Yang's mother drive her blade through Heath's arms, slicing them clean off.

"Yang! We have to do something!" Ruby called out, and readied Crescent Rose, starting to dash in their direction. Just as she did, more and more grimm spawned out of nowhere, coming at her, leaving Ruby with no choice but to defend herself, as she watched in horror as Raven's hand, which was not planted firmly on Heath's face, torn open, and a small, black bug came out from it, going inside the maiden's mouth. At first, she bellowed in agony and pain, but after nothing more than a short, fleeting minute, her screams subsided, leaving nothing behind but a frozen face with an expression of dread and trauma.

"No!" Ruby called out, and flared with her silver eyes, accelerating herself while simultaneously attempting to clear out a path for herself and her friends to head in. On her side, Weiss, clad in her armor, which glowed purple at this point, created glyph after glyph, sending the grimm all around them away in various directions, while the faunus, Blake, used her massive numbers to rout out any forces that were left in their wake, securing the trail to the now pulsating and convulsing summer maiden.

Alas, in the end, they were too late. The summer maiden, after struggling with forces unseen to them, finally stopped moving, and fell to the floor, lifeless, at the light in her eyes ceased and her aura flickered and disappeared.

"No..." Ruby whimpered, having to watch her one, single mission failed. True, she didn't get to know her much, but a death is still a death, and it was never a fun thing to see. Heath's now lifeless corpse laid on the floor, on display for everyone, as a small, black, grimm-like insect dug its way out of her body, and went underground, headed to destinations unknown, but that wasn't the worst part. Heath's words still rung clear in everyone's ears, and Ruby could already hear the people talk about the fact that she called herself a maiden. At this point, there was no possible way to hide it, and it became apparent that the maiden's secret was, at long last, exposed to the rest of Remnant. The grimm, or at least what was left of them, also retreated, gone as though they were never there, and soon, the deserts around Vacuo came into view again, with even less grimm in them than there were to begin with. Soon after them, the grimm knight, looking at the scene, gave a small nod to Raven, while starting to dissipate back into the void.

As for Raven herself, she said nothing. No parting words, no glances at Ruby or her daughter, nothing. She simply took her sword, slashed the air, creating another one of her portals, sheathed her sword back, and left the place, headed to what they could only assume was her next destination, as the dark cloud over Vacuo, hiding the rest of Remnant from Yang's aura vision lifted, unveiling the rest of the world to her once more. Ruby might have tried to stop them, to use her own influence to try and make everyone believe that what she said was nothing more than as exaggeration, but at this point, she knew it was pointless. Scrolls were already up, talking about the whole chain of events, as the older and wiser huntsmen of the groups started to talk up, bringing the old legend and claiming this was it, and that the maidens were of great important to Remnant.

Team RWBY, as well as JNPR, approached the dead body. They looked at her, faces filled with both fear and pity, and Ruby kneeled down, closing her blood-shot eyes, finally giving her some of the rest she deserved.

"So, all this time..." Jaune thought out loud.

"Yes. Sorry we couldn't tell you, but Qrow has sworn us to secrecy." Blake explained. "He wanted to have the smallest number of people possible know about the truth of things."

"I see." Jaune looked at her and the others. For a fleeting moment, Yang could have sworn she felt a streak of anger in his aura, but whatever it was, it was short-lived, as Jaune soon returned to his usual, less grim stance and expression.

"In any case, we have to inform Qrow and Glynda about the matter, unless by now they already know, seeing how viral this is bound to become." Ren suggested, and the rest nodded.

"But we should rest for now." Ruby made her decision. "This was not an easy battle, by any means, and it doesn't take aura vision to tell each of us is exhausted. Let's head back to Vacuo for now, and try and recover as much as we can from this whole ordeal. After all, Raven is still out there, and something tells me I know what's her plan now." She looked at them, as each of the other seven, even Nora, had a glint of understanding in their eyes, as it became apparent what Raven was really after, and seeing this, it was only a matter of time before she appeared in another kingdom, to kill the maiden that resided there. The group headed back to Vacuo itself, going back to the hotel, and after trying to sleep it off, without much success, they decided to just get the hard part over with, and contacted Qrow, who had a frantic and distressed look on his face.

"I can't believe it!" He called out to no one in particular. "She did it. She really went over and FUCKED UP this one!" The way he talked was so out of character for him, that if she could, Ruby would have slapped him across the chat line.

"Uncle Qrow, would you PLEASE calm down?" She tried to ask him, but her uncle kept on going, spewing half-baked sentences about how Ozpin was going to kill him and such, until eventually, it was Glynda that came up to him and decked his face, sending Qrow into a momentary shock.

"Qrow CALM DOWN!" She commanded. "Look, this is what we have to deal with now, okay? The secret is out, so we have no choice but to adapt, and try and see where to go from there."

"And where would THAT be, exactly?" He asked after calming down, with his usual sarcasm. "Now with the maidens revealed, protecting them from Raven is only going to be a lot harder, you know."

"Perhaps, but we mustn't cling to the past." A third voice came about, and Oobleck made his presence known. "Remember Qrow, that while the maidens' existence is no longer a secret, OUR knowledge of them is. We can still use this advantage in order to try and help wherever we can."

"Hmm..." Qrow sank deep into thought, seemingly unaware that teams RWBY and JNPR were watching and hearing them the entire time.

"Soo... Do you really need us for this? Because we could use the rest." Ruby asked the council.

"Oh, no, you stay there." Qrow turned to her.

"Listen, Ruby, in the end, this wasn't your fault." Glynda tried to rationalize. "She acted on her own volition, and I assume you did try and stop her."

 _Not as much as we should have..._ Yang thought to herself.

"But either way, as of this moment, the world of Remnant is aware of the maidens, but what they don't know is what happened to the summer, and fall for that matter, maiden's powers." She continued. "We can try and play it off as not being able to locate the next maiden yet, but this will only succeed so far. Your new mission is to go to the other kingdoms, find the maidens there, and stop Raven at all costs.

"Not to mention bring their powers back to _you know who._ " Ruby said. "After the battle had ended, we saw a grimm insect exit Raven's body, and entering Heath's apparently draining the maiden's powers away from her, as well as her life."

"So now we have to worry about THIS as well, huh?" Qrow covered his face with his hand as he collapsed onto one of the chairs in the CCT tower office. "Great. Juuuuust great."

"We could do without the sarcasm, Qrow." Glynda scolded him, and turned to the two teams. "Listen, for now, I want you to stay in Vacuo. The summer maiden just died, and I assume the people there could use some support, Ruby." She nodded in agreement. "Other than that, keep an open eye for any possible lead about Raven's next target." Glynda looked at Yang's direction. "I think you know what to do when the time comes, Yang."

"Yeah, Yeah. I know." Yang honestly wasn't in the mood for missions or battles at the moment. Watching an aura die and snuff out was not something fun for her to look at, and right now, the only thing Yang wanted to do was try and move on from this whole mess.

"Well, that would be all, for now." Glynda addressed them one final time. "Have some rest, all of you. You look half de-" She almost finished that sentence, but at the last second, it dawned on her what she was about to say, and Glynda blushed slightly in embarrassment as she hung up the conversation, leaving the two teams to their own devices.

* * *

Heath's funeral wasn't big as Ruby would have imagined for the now revealed maiden. The amount of people that actually came to pay their respects to her was surprisingly small, only consisting of some of the huntsmen that saw her fight Raven a few days prior, plus a few of the older people in Vacuo's population, wanting to pay their respects as well. Seeing as Vacuo had no standardized religion, unlike Mistral, no real priest was involved in this. They simply had the body buried in the ground, and those who came just stood there, having nothing left to say, each of them trying to unite with her memory, for as little as they had of it, on their own.

"..." Ruby had nothing left to say. She simply stood there, looking at the sky with a vacant expression, not knowing where to put herself. She looked over to each of her friends, each of them distraught in their own way.

"We can't give up." She finally said.

"...What?" The rest wondered what made her say that.

"True, a maiden just died." She tried to explain herself. "And I know that at the moment, none of us will give in or something, but for as long as I've used my powers to inspire people, I tend to forget that sometimes, it's our closest friends that need some encouragement. It may seem obvious to us all for now, but even if worse comes to worst, we can't allow ourselves to wallow in despair and shrivel away."

In a sense, what Ruby said was both obvious and not. It was an easy thing, to treat hope as a constant and as a default, and neglect to pay any particular attention to it, but in the end, it was probably the only thing that kept them going through all of this, and it needed to be treated as such.

"Ruby is right." Weiss added. "We came this far, all on our own. If we turn back now, then what good are we?" Her own reasons were a bit different, but in the end, she was right as well, and the group nodded.

The only one that didn't nod, was Yang. She looked at the world around her, and felt the dark cloud's presence in Remnant again. Ruby, seeing the worry in her eyes, turned to her.

"You see her?"

Yang nodded this time. "Yeah. She's back."

"Where?"

Yang closed her eyes for a short period, taking a deep breath, and turned to her team, her eyes fixated on Weiss.

"She is headed to Atlas."


	55. The Search

After the summer maiden's death, the group made their way towards Atlas, as fast as they could. By the time they boarded the ship and headed to the northern kingdom, Yang could already see the black cloud that surrounded her mother cover Atlas, as the auras within it ceased to reveal themselves to her. By now, the mood was pretty tense, having just lost another maiden to Salem, as Cinder's attack of Vale already rid them of the fall maiden. Unlike the last flight to Vacuo, none of them could sleep during any point of the flight. Instead, they found themselves talking strategy and combat formations, in order to at least prepare themselves mentally for the ordeal of finding the winter maiden and protecting her.

So far, Ruby sat by one of the windows, looking at the view outside. As they got closer, she could already see the skyscrapers all over the city, as well as the spotlights that pierced the sky. The entire kingdom, even though it was night time at the moment, still looked as bright as day, and for a moment, she could almost forget the moonless skies above them.

"Ruby?" She heard Weiss, who was seated next to her, hold her hand and looking at her. "Are you sure you are going to be alright?"

Though Weiss' looked very caring and affectionate at the moment, Ruby knew deep inside that those feelings were only directed at her. True, after opening her heart, Weiss became much more open towards other, and yet, the only person she actually showed genuine love for was her. Ruby looked at her for a brief moment, and smiled gently, holding her hand back.

"Don't mind me, Weiss. I'll be alright." As she said that, Ruby knew that deep down, she didn't really have a choice. The world was not going to care whether she was feeling good or not. To her, the only respite she could have was knowing everyone around her was truly safe.

Weiss looked at her, seemingly not buying her words, though eventually, she calmed down, and leaned her head on Ruby's shoulder, trying to be as supportive as possible. While not showing it, Ruby's words during Heath's funeral still managed to touch her on some level, and Weiss decided between herself to attempt being a little more positive, especially when it concerned her lover.

"We're almost there." They heard Jaune speak out loud, as the landing dock came into view, rapidly growing in size. After a short hour, the airship finally landed, and the group took their bags, and left the airship, only to find what they could only describe as a royal envoy waiting for them.

"Miss Rose, Mr. Arc, we are here of behalf of Winter, current chairwoman of the atlesian council." One of the men, dressed in black, sleek suites addressed them. "If you and your teams would be so kind as to follow us, we will take you to her directly. The leader wishes to exchange words with you all." He stepped back a little, revealing two black limousines, each waiting for then with four vacant seats.

The group looked at each other, with skeptic looks on their faces. As far as they were told, no one informed Winter of their arrival in Atlas, and so, the whole thing seemed sketchy. However, not wanting to cause a scene like the last time they were in Atlas, team RWBY, followed by JNPR, went into the cars, and after a relatively short ride, they came to what Ruby and her team could only recognize as Ironwood's old tower, though some renovations were obviously done to the outside of the building.

"Please, follow me." The man, riding behind them in his own vehicle, opened the main doors, leading them through the tower's various floors, until finally, the group arrived at the big, jade doors that led to the office, and he let them in, revealing a slightly angry Winter, with papers covering almost every possible corner of the room, and at least seven scroll stations, five of which were ringing at the same time.

"Good. You're here." Winter said and dismissed her bodyguard, who went outside, closing the doors behind him. "I wish I could have called you here for happier reasons, but alas, I need you to explain a few things to me."

"Which would be?" Weiss asked as frosted venom crept into her tones.

"How come my entire kingdom is now constantly talking about the four maidens, and how did the secret get out?" Shortly becoming Atlas' leader, Winter was inducted into the remains of Ozpin's inner circle, and the truth about Salem and the maidens was explained to her. While the information was certainly new to her, Winter was sworn not to reveal this information to anyone. The same information her citizens now demanded to know about to no end.

"The summer maiden was the one to shout out her title." Blake explained. "While the siege on Vacuo took place, she decided to intervene, and showcased her abilities in full to the huntsmen before her, and eventually, she took on Raven by herself, only to die by her hand in the end. So far we can only conclude that the summer maiden's powers are now on route to Salem directly, while Raven and the grimm knight that appears to follow her around are here."

Winter looked at them, a grievous look forming of her. "And I assume that their target here would be the winter maiden?"

"Yes." Penny talked as well. "That would be the most likely scenario."

"Hmm…" Winter sighed, and pressed her fingers against the bridge of her nose, trying to figure out what to do. "That would be a problem."

"What? Why?" Ruby asked her.

"Because, the last recorded winter maiden died a few months back, and her powers transferred onto the next host, which we had no time to locate, having the war taking place in the middle of it."

"Then how DO we find her?" Nora asked.

"I have no idea as of yet. I can't divert any time for this, seeing as my duties as council head are rather taxing at the moment." Winter explained.

"Yang? Maybe you have an idea?" Blake turned to her, and the group looked at the Dustmaster, waiting for her verdict of the subject. Yang looked at them back, and sighed deeply, looking out the window momentarily.

"I don't know. I believe that yes, the auras of the maidens have something unique to them, which I also saw in Heath's soul, and maybe I could track her using that." The group's faces lifted up a little, before Yang continued. "Although, for that, I need to know the same dark strand that I saw in Heath's aura would exist in the other maiden's auras as well. And even beyond that, the darkness looming over Atlas at the moment, while not impairing my vision by much, does make it harder to point out the finer details. If I want to be able to find her, I'm going to have to tour the city, and get within closer range." Their faces fell down slightly, before Ruby looked at the group and spoke up.

"Then that's exactly what we'll do." She turned to team JNPR. "I want us to split up. That way we can cover more ground."

"No." He interjected. "We'll be safer together. I'd rather us split only if we have to, and right now, staying close to Yang would be our best bet."

After thinking about it for a short while, Ruby nodded, agreeing with his logic. _He's right._ She thought to herself. _The four of us plus a maiden couldn't beat her. We should stay close._

"Good, then it's settled." Winter looked at them, in between several calls and the plenty of paperwork she had to do. "Now, if you will, my guard will escort you outside." She snapped her fingers, and the door opened again, revealing the same stern face from behind.

"Oh! And Weiss," She called out to her sister as the group came to leave, and the White Knight turned to her.

"Yes?" She asked as she saw some warmth glint in Winter's eyes.

"It was nice to see you again." She gave her a smile, and Weiss smiled faintly back, returning to her team and leaving.

"So, where do we begin?" Ren asked Yang.

"Well, the safest bet would be to start from this tower, and circle Atlas' city out from there." Yang decided. "I don't need that much time to in each area, so it won't be as long as one might think. Though, If I had to guess, scanning the entire city might take us several days."

"Then we have no time to lose. Let's start right away." Ruby concluded and the moment the group reached the ground floor of the tower, Yang immediately raised the Dust Celica, and closed her eyes, tightening her focus on the auras around her. From colors, she started to see more and more minute details, until the entirety of the souls around her were unveiled. After scanning the area for a few minutes, Yang stopped focusing, and reopened her eyes, looking somewhat disappointed.

"She's not around her. We'll have to go on looking."

From there, the group toured Atlas' main city, in search of any clues that could lead them to the maiden. As they walked through the bustling streets, the gang couldn't help but notice the many changes Atlas went through after Ironwood died, and Winter took over the council: For starters, the propaganda signs and posters were all removed from the walls of the buildings they passed by, leaving the city looking much more clean, in fact. Besides that, the soldiers that patrolled the avenues and plazas were mostly gone, with only smaller batches of uniforms walking around, though these guys looked much more competent than before, and Ruby figured that they were actually meant to protect the citizens, while the other soldiers fought the grimm outside. From what she could hear, walking around, the little bubble they had before was completely gone, and the main subject of conversation was the increasing number of grimm surrounding the city walls, with many prayers directed at the soldiers for their safety making themselves heard throughout.

As they continued to walk and scan, Yang started to get more and more tired with each attempt. The tower they were in was approximately close to the center of Atlas, which they learned from a city map extension to the map app in their scrolls, and so, they continued to stride around, visiting places of interest, where they believed the maiden would most likely be. As the sun set, the group didn't let up, and kept on going, as the moonless skies stretched before them, and the streets became gradually empty.

"This isn't working." Yang finally stated when, after several hours of straight up searching, she found absolutely nothing.

"Perhaps we should check the borders of the city." Blake suggested. "That's where we found the last maiden. Maybe she's with the other huntsmen and soldiers, fighting the grimm outside."

"Sounds like a plan. We'll go to the city walls first thing in the morning." Ruby agreed. "Right now, she should head out to the hotel Glynda reserved for us in the morning. I have the address already set up in my scroll." She pulled up the device, and directed the group through the streets, until reaching the hotel, waiting for the next day to come.

* * *

By the time the sun rose, the group was already gone, taking a shuttle as close to the borders as they could get. From there, a fifteen-minute walk revealed to them a highly fortified wall, constantly buzzing with soldiers and other military personnel, which seemingly not a single huntsman in sight.

"Excuse me? Where are all the huntsmen?" The group turned to one of the soldiers, who patrolled the area, and asked him. "We thought more of them would be here to help you out."

"Oh, the huntsmen?" The soldier looked a little confused. "From what I know, you huntsmen were not requested for help. The military can take care of the grimm for now, but I was told that a mass call could be heard, considering the siege on Vacuo a few days ago. The higher ups are not happy about the situation…"

"Uh… I see…" Ruby glanced at him, and signaled to Yang, who peered at his aura, tracing any signs of lying. After finding none, the group reconvened back at Winter's tower, thinking what to do.

"Damn. This is going to be a lot harder then I imagined…" Yang was at a bit of a loss. Once she realized she couldn't count on her sight like she was used to, she began to feel a little bad about the whole situation.

"Don't worry; we'll find her. I'm sure of it." Jaune tried to cheer her up. "Anyway, any ideas? Checking the outer wall seems pointless at this point in time."

The group sat together and thought, until finally, it was Weiss that spoke up.

"Perhaps we should check the residential areas."

"Why?" Ruby wondered.

"Winter said the previous maiden died. Since this new one was never registered anywhere as a maiden, I believe there is a quite possible chance her parents are still with her. Even further, there is always the possibility she is not even aware of her own importance."

The group agreed, and soon after, Yang found herself scouring the many apartment buildings around Atlas, in yet another gambit to locate the Winter maiden.

"You know, this makes me wonder…" Blake mentioned as they went past yet another building, with no results whatsoever. "If Qrow and Glynda knew about all of this, how? They didn't have a person with aura sight like we have Yang."

"That's… Actually a good question." Ruby picked up her scroll, dialed up her uncle, who answered almost immediately.

"This had better be _you know what_ related. I'm busy." Qrow sounded a little gruff.

"You want us to find winter. How?" Ruby cut straight to the chase, and Qrow gave a bit of a tired look.

"Well… Honestly, this was Ozpin's thing all this time. He never actually told us how he managed to locate each maiden, and even then, most of the time his were educated guesses, at best." He thought for a bit and tried to recall whatever his mind contained. "From what I CAN remember, each _you know what_ has her own traits that define the person designated to inherit the powers, just in case the former died without having important young women in mind, in which case the power moves randomly to another person." He came up with whatever he could fathom from the few times Ozpin explained this to him.

"And do you have any idea what _her_ trait is?" Yang asked. "If you can tell me that, perhaps I could locate her easier."

"No, unfortunately. But, from what I do know, former ones tended to be of the sheltered type. You know, the kind of girl growing up without anyone letting her see the outside world and such."

"Like I was." Weiss summarized.

"Yeah, but in a less fucked up way." Qrow tried to make a small laugh, but it fell on deaf ears.

"Thanks. This should help me narrow the field down greatly." Yang thanked him, and they closed the conversation, looking at the buildings in front of them. Yang raised the Dust Celica again, but this time, instead of trying to isolate one, specific detail in her surrounding's souls, she instead looked for the loneliest feeling aura around her, which allowed her to increase her range, sacrificing her less-needed accuracy in the process. Little by little, various aura began to pop up in her mind, at least a dozen, and Yang noted their location, memorizing it at much as she could.

"Okay, I've got the most likely auras memorized. Now let's go." She said, and they continued their search. From there, it was only a matter of finding the auras Yang noticed, and checking each of them for the dark strand that she found within the summer maiden. Looking through each of them, one by one, the team was greatly disappointed to find out that one by one, the auras they found did not have anything special in particular about them.

At the very end, they were getting desperate. By now, they covered almost all of the aura that fit Qrow's description, and at the end of the day, it would appear that his theory was wrong, and the winter maiden was not a sheltered soul, as he described it.

"Well guys, this is it. The last one." Yang said as they approached one of the mansions in the street they were in. By now, most of the checks they had to do boiled down to the richest families in Atlas, and they passed plenty of expensive looking houses on their way.

"Then let's pray that's the one." Jaune commented, and they let Yang do her work, as she raised the Dust Celica, and closed her eyes, focusing.

At first, the aura only appeared to her in basic form, nothing notable about it, and Yang sharpened herself further, shaving away the blur from the aura, and delving into its deeper secrets. Little by little, the nuances of its nature came into view, and she saw how the aura, seemingly lacking in color, flickered weakly, as though without a lot of passion. Each aura she saw like that did remind her of Weiss' aura in a way, though only what it used to be. Today, Weiss' soul, though not perfect, did show a lot more color than before, though its movement was odd and distorted, as Weiss bent it to her whims, creating a sort of calculated and mechanical unison between her body and aura. At first, Yang believed it to be her undoing, but after seeing her being able to resist Ironwood with her sheer force of will, Yang came to believe that there is beauty even in that.

She continued to observe the aura. It moved, it flickered, but still, nothing came up. She redoubled herself even further, observing even more of the tiny fragments that made up the aura, until she could separate it, strand by strand. At this point, it was as though Yang was looking at the aura through a microscope, as the entire structure of the aura, and with it the soul, revealed itself to her. This was as far as Yang could possibly go, and she still saw nothing at this point, then truly it was hopeless. She looked to and fro, and at the last minute, just before she gave up, she noticed it: A small, blackened strand, just through the heart area. It was tiny, almost invisible, and definitely much smaller than Heath's strand, and at first, Yang wasn't even sure she really saw it. But looking at it some more, it became evident that indeed, it was there.

"I… I think I found her!" Yang called out and snapped out of her focus all at once, leaving a little bit dazzled, Blake having to support her for a short while. "She's definitely in there."

"Finally!" Ruby called in relief. It was about time something good came upon them, and this time, it would have appeared that they found the maiden before Raven, which gave them some time to plan things out. "Now, before we head back, we should probably write down the address and find out who is out maiden." She took a picture of the house in question, and the team left for now, at least knowing the maiden's location.

* * *

The next day, the eight went to Winter's tower, having set a meeting with her the day before. Usually, this would take them months in advance, but seeing the urgency of the situation, Winter obliged to meet them as soon as possible, clearing out an hour of her time for her sister and her teammates.

"Good to see you." She told them as they entered her office, and took their seats. "I assume you have some updates for me?"

"Yes." Ruby pulled out her scroll and showed Winter the picture she took yesterday. "After a long day of searching, Yang managed to recognize the maiden's soul to this location. I was hoping you could give us some details about her, so that we can approach her more easily. Seeing this is one of the more wealthy families in Atlas, we should know at least who are we dealing with."

"Reasonable enough." Winter agreed, and pulled a larger scroll, hidden beneath the mountains of papers, and after a few taps, she entered Atlas' population records, looking for the residents of the given address. The moment Winter found the information she was looking for, her face fell grim, and she looked at her sister with a worried face.

"Winter?" Weiss asked nervously. "What did you find?"

"That this suddenly became much, much more complicated…" Winter turned the tablet over, and presented the results of her query to the group. On the screen, the pictures of two adults, Weiss only managing to recognize the father, having white hair. Under them, appeared a young girl, hair white as well, at least six or seven in age.

"Weiss, are you aware that the Schnee family has branches in it?" Winter asked coldly.

"Yes. I do." Weiss answered. As far as she remembered, her father had quite the number of brothers and sisters in his generation. The moment he became the head of the SDC, those related to him were considered side families to the main branch, with each of them still recognized as a Schnee, but in name only, having no real decision power in the company.

"Then you probably remember our uncle, Wolke Schnee."

Weiss nodded, as her worst fear came to fruition.

"Weiss? Is everything alright?" Ruby asked her worried. The look on Weiss' face spoke volumes, as it was clear that this was not going to be pleasant.

"Well, Ruby," Weiss turned to her. "The girl you see before you is my cousin, Engel Schnee." She took a small moment to let the information kick in, before Ruby's eyes widened in realization.

"And she is the current winter maiden."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the office of the Schnee family mansion…

Mr. Schnee, still the chairman of his company, stood in his office, waiting for his brother to arrive. Apparently, yesterday his kin discovered a certain disowned heiress nearing his home, and in a fit of fear, his brother called him, asking for a meeting. Seeing as Winter cut him out on plenty of his connection through Atlas, he was looking for a reason to get back at her and Weiss, and this seemed more than perfect. The door opened, and from behind it a very frantic looking man in a white suit came out, approaching the CEO with a grievous look on his face.

"Ah, Wolke, how pleasant to see you…" He started out with the usual mannerisms. After all, etiquette was still his family's calling card, and he was not going to let his failures of daughters prevent him from at least pretending to be civil.

"Please, brother, I have no time for this." The man stood before him and spoke, being on the verge of a nervous breakdown. "That monster just approached MY home. MY family! You know I can't fight her on my own, I need your help!" While most of Atlas did see him as a villain of sorts for his attempt on Winter's life, amongst his own family, Mr. Schnee kept his iron fist intact, at least for now. He used his scar to scare them into believing Weiss had become a sociopath of sorts, and that now, her mere presence was cause for alarm.

"Oh, don't worry, dear brother." Mr. Schnee returned to him with a crooked smile. "You daughter is like my own daughter to me. I won't let that monstrosity touch a hair on her head…"


	56. Infiltrate & Extract

"So, you all know the mission front to back, yes?"

Teams RWBY and JNPR nodded with consent, as Winter, coupled with Qrow, Glynda, and Oobleck in a chat line conversation from New Vale, briefed the eight on the next step of their mission to protects the maidens. They were to extract Engel Schnee from her residence in Atlas' wealthy district and bring her to New Vale, where the council would personally protect her from Raven at all costs while Ruby and her friends went ahead to fetch the spring maiden from Mistral, for the same purpose. They didn't waste much time getting ready and discussing the mission, as time was of the utmost importance, and every second wasted was a second for Raven to get to her first. Unlike Vacuo, Atlas was much less phased by a siege tactic, and thus, the group deduced Raven won't even attempt at this again, and go straight for the maiden's throat.

"Good. Now, I'll arrange you some transportation to their house. Once you get there, please present our uncle with this." Winter held up a letter of sorts, and handed it to Ruby, who stashed it in her belt's pouch. "This is an official warrant for taking custody over Engel Schnee, for security reasons. Once you show him this, it will mean he is obligated by law to relinquish his daughter to you, and will be given the option to follow her as well, after the risks for his own safety made clear to him."

"Right." Ruby nodded, and Winter continued. Taking a child from her parents wasn't something Ruby liked to think of herself doing, but in the end, it was pivotal that Raven won't get to her. So far, they still didn't know fully why Salem sent her warriors after the four maidens, but seeing as she was already halfway in obtaining them all, none of them wanted to wait and find out what were her intentions for the powers.

"Anyway, the moment you do get her, I don't want any of you even wasting a second, -"

"Yeah, we know." Yang cut her in between sentences. "We take her out of there, head to the airship dock as fast as we possibly can, from there you'll prepare a special line for us to get to New Vale, after which we reconvene with Glynda in Beacon and hand the girl over to her." Yang said sighing. _Honestly, there's no point in repeating that._ She thought to herself slightly annoyed. _We've been over this so many times even Nora managed to memorize it._

"...Fair enough." Winter gruffed a bit, and returned to her desk, facing the staggering amount of paperwork still ahead of her. True, she was well acquainted with the ins and outs of being in the council head's seat, seeing as she WAS Ironwood's direct assistant for a while, but even Winter couldn't predict the amount of problems she had to attend to while being the leader of Atlas, as the sheer amount of filth from Ironwood's rule began to pop up all over the place, from corrupt council members to army conspiracies, all for her to clean up. At the very least, Winter managed to split up the army, huntsmen Academy and kingdom into three separate bodies, nominating different people to run each of them under her direct supervision. "Well? Off with you! I'll prepare the airship, so head out right away."

The group didn't say anything, and only left, heading to another vehicle waiting for them at the tower's entrance, and taking them to their destination. They looked at the house again, this time in broad daylight, as Weiss couldn't help but notice the same Schnee motifs her family was so famous for, appearing all over the outer structure of the estate. The white colors, the snowflake insignia appearing on a flag waving above the door, and the luscious fauna growing in predestined shapes and forms all over the front yard, all were signs that this house belonged to the Schnees.

"Let's just get this over with..." she grunted and went over to the front gate, ringing the bell and waiting for someone to answer and open up for the group. They waited for about ten minutes, and yet, no one came up to open for them.

"Well?" Weiss rung the bell again, hoping this time they would be competent enough to remember their manners and at least answer the call, and yet, like before, not a single, solitary soul showed its face to them, and so far, Weiss was beginning to feel upset.

"Humph! The nerve some people have!..." She stepped back, and returned to her teammates. As a former Schnee, etiquette and manners were a few of the very first things Weiss was taught as a child. Before dust studies, before instrument and singing lessons, before even rapier and combat training, Weiss was educated to be a few things: Polite, reasonable and level-headed. This was the same line of thinking that her father was tutored in, as well as all of his siblings, and Weiss expected them to, at the very least, remember those lessons, and abide by them. Of course, she didn't expect her uncle just to hand over his child to them without SOME sort of fight, but not answering the door was a whole new level of insulting.

"Maybe they're out for something?" Nora tried to reason. "Like eating somewhere or watching a movie."

"Unlikely." Weiss objected. "You don't know what it's like to live as a part of the Schnee family, but I would expect them to never even leave their house, for almost any occasion. Even the most rudimentary Schnee estates have some form of theater room inside of them, as well as a working staff of servants and cleaners. They could keep her cooped up in there for years in they wanted." As Weiss spoke, flashes of her own childhood manifested in her eyes. She, like Engel, suffered the same fate from her parents, and for the most part, she wasn't even allowed to leave her floor of the main branch mansion without a particular reason.

"Then what do you think DID happen to them?" Ruby asked her curiously. "From how you describe it, it's pretty suspicious then even the parents aren't in the house at all. You'd think someone would still be there..."

"I know. That's exactly what we need to find out." Weiss went over to the gate again, and put her hand over the lock, creating several small glyphs, each pushing in a different direction. After a short while, the lock couldn't handle the pressure from her semblance, and it snapped, allowing Weiss to easily twist the knob and open up the gate, letting the group into the front of the house.

"Hmm..." Ruby hummed as she investigated the empty lot. The two teams scoured the front garden, looking for any sort of clue that could lead them in the direction of Engel's location. So far, everything seemed fine, and if they didn't know any better, they could swear that the earth must have swallowed her or something. Fortunately, Ruby was keen enough to see past the apparent tranquility the house posed under, and after finding nothing there, she turned to Yang.

"Yang, aura sight. See if you can trace her anywhere."

"I'll try." Yang closed her eyes and raised the Dust Celica. She tried to focus again, and looked for the aura of the winter maiden, but the darkness looking all around her hindered her ability to see the aura, and even though her memory of the aura was still accurate to work with, Yang still didn't see her anywise.

"I can't sense her." Yang pondered for a short while. "Maybe if I have something of hers, I could use that to get a better trail of her aura around Atlas."

"But that would require us breaking into the house itself." Jaune looked at her.

"Leave it to me!" Nora cheered and went to the front door, pulling Magnhild, only to be stopped by Weiss at the last second.

"What?" Nora asked her confused. "I thought we needed to get inside! I was just going to break the lock..."

"Well, this isn't the way." Weiss looked at her sternly. "If I know anything about my father, and I DO, he wants us to do this." She looked at the rest. "He probably rigged the alarm to go off as loudly as it can the moment we open the front door." She suspected her father had something to do with this, and while not expecting to see him personally trying to stop them, Weiss did figure he pulled some strings when they weren't looking. Exposing them as burglars was just the thing he needed to discredit Winter as a viable ruler, having let her sister commit a crime such as this. "What we want to do is disable the security system first, before entering the house." She looked at Nora. "You want to help? Shortcut the system. This still leaves us with the auxiliary source, but Ruby and I should be fast enough to get in and out before anything happens."

"Got it!" Nora smiled, and looked for one of the cameras, observing them in the garden, and jumped on to it, Weiss supplying her with a platform. Nora held on to the camera, and let her semblance rampant, sending jolts of electricity all over the place, disrupting the power source of the small mansion.

"Now! Before the auxiliary power supply activates!" Weiss called out to the rest, and Yang rushed over to the door, breaking the knob with the Dust Celica, and opening it, letting the two rush into the house as fast as they could, Ruby using her semblance and Weiss with her dilation glyph. Meanwhile, Jaune and Blake looked over the street, making sure no civilians walked by and saw them do all of this, with the wealthy district streets being almost completely empty at all times.

Weiss and Ruby didn't waste a moment, and quickly covered the house on its entirety, dashing through the halls as lines of white and red crossed over and over. The first one to find something was Weiss, getting to the playroom of her cousin, and taking a few small toys with her, just in case. From what she figured, there was a good chance the girl didn't actually play with many of those toys, so the safest bet was to grab as many as she could. Finally, just in the nick of time, the two managed to get out, as they heard the alarm system rearm itself behind them.

"Well, I brought you some of her toys." Weiss handed a few of them to Yang. "See if you can trace her out using these."

"I'll try." Yang held one of them in the Dust Celica, clutching it tightly, and she closed her eyes, feeling faint traces of aura emanating from the doll. She focused harder, but there just wasn't aura for her to work with, and all she got was a tiny trail then ended at the entrance of the house. She picked a few more, and again, the same result applied.

"Wow. She barely touched any of these..." Yang pondered out loud as she moved on to the next toy, to no avail.

"So NONE of them were good enough?" Weiss asked her in disbelief.

"Well, there's one last thing I can try. Let's see if this helps." Yang focused on the Dust Celica, morphing it into a wider arm, just enough for her to be able to hold all of the toys at the same time. She tried to trace her again, and this time, the combined aura in all of them was just enough, giving Yang a clearer picture as to Engel's whereabouts.

"Okay! I think I've got it!" She called out, and raised the Dust Celica, pointing north of them. "Wherever they took her, the winter maiden should be in that direction."

"Let's head out them. We're done here." Ruby decided, and the group left, heading out to wherever Yang's trace would lead them.

* * *

None of them were excepting this.

After a while of looking around, searching for the winter maiden's location, Yang finally led them to what seemed like an abandoned warehouse, in the middle of nowhere of any importance. Weiss, unlike the rest, though, appeared to be unsurprised at the end location, and simply turned to the group.

"This may seem like an ordinary warehouse, but don't let your guard down. My father is well known for having plenty of safe-houses all over Atlas, just in case worse turned to worst. Most likely, he had the branch family transfer here yesterday, to make sure we won't find them."

"Then how do we get in?" Jaune inquired.

"The simple way: We smash through. Unlike the Schnee estates in the central part of the main city, these places are barely connected to the outside, being meant to serve as a solitary and self-sustaining confinement. I would expect guards and hired men, but even then, I doubt they could take on any of us on their own." In the end, each of them, while not having the official title yet, had the strength of a true huntsman in them. Even alone, any of the eight could be devastating, and they had each other to boot.

"Alright! This is going to be fun!" Nora grinned and brandished her weapon, spinning Magnhild in her hands, while the rest of them pulled out their weapons, and prepared for combat.

"Go!" Ruby called out, and Nora raised her weapon, and slammed it against the entrance to the warehouse, breaking the door apart, as the thin metal was blasted to smithereens and the pieces fell all over the floor. They each dashed through the hole Nora left in the building, but to their surprise, it appeared that not a single soul resided in the warehouse. In fact, the place looked as abandoned as it could possibly get, with mostly old crates lying around, the dirt covering almost everything around them.

"Yang?" Ruby turned to her, looking a bit confused.

"What? She's here! I can still feel her!" Yang defended herself, and held the cluster of toys again in the Dust Celica, concentrating. The aura, feeling much more vibrant at this point, caught Yang's attention, as she looked down, seeing it below the ground for some reason.

"That's strange... she's actually beneath us..."

"Then look for a way down." Blake called out, while using her autonomous clones to broaden her search, looking at several places at once. The rest joined in, and they turned the whole place upside down, looking for a hidden switch or a secret hatch of sorts that would lead them underground. After a while, one of the clones approached Blake, and tugged her from behind, getting her attention. It led them outside of the building, where several of the clones stood as well, and Blake noticed them all looking at the same direction, as a panel lied on the ground, half covered by one of the many crates that happened to be in the area.

"Good job, Blakey." Yang praised her, and came to scratch her girlfriend under one of her ears, which made Blake purr uncontrollably, much to her embarrassment.

"W-Well, anyway, we should head inside." Blake murmured, and the group went into the warehouse once more, only to see a that a portion of the floor had become unhinged, allowing them to open it and see below.

"Well, this is it! Let's head out!" Ruby called and they jumped in, landing in what looked like a large, chrome corridor. The moment they touched the floor, the alarm triggered, and the whole place was flooded with loud noises that came from all around them.

"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT! ALL FORCES LOCATE AND TERMINATE!" The PA system installed roared out, leaving teams RWBY and JNPR with little choice but to fight.

"Okay, this is the time to split up." Ruby turned to Jaune. "We need to cover as much ground as we can" She pointed to the two ends of the corridor the stood in "You take your team to the left, I'll take mine to the right. I want non-lethal, so keep an eye out for human guards!" She trailed off, as the rest of her team followed suit, and the moment they reached the end of the corridor and opened up the door at the end, a large room came into view, where several men waited for them, including plenty of old models of the atlesian knights.

"Come on!" Yang called, and summoned the Blaze Celica, sending a pulse of aura at them, as the men started to step back a little. The robots, on the other hand, jumped forth, unloading their entire ammo at the group, as Weiss stepped in, and created a large glyph, blocking the bullets, and she summoned her armor, prepared for combat. A few of the robots drew out dust blades, and charged at the group, and Blake stepped in, creating an equal force, and she slowly took care of the machines, while Ruby used her semblance to dash past them, headed straight to the mercenaries behind them. Without even giving them a chance to react, Ruby swung Crescent Rose around, while jumping and kicking everyone around her, and soon enough, the whole lot of them fell to the ground, unconscious. Yang quickly made sure none of them were dead or anything, and the group continued down the series of hallways and doors, as it became clear that the entire place functioned more like a maze than anything else, keeping them all lost down below.

"Yang," Ruby turned to her, and her sister, without even hearing the end of her sentence, pulled out the toys, trying to trace the winter maiden's aura, and how she got down below. Alas, Yang didn't manage to find any specific route, and the only thing she could see was the aura sitting below them, several floors away.

"We still have a ways to go..." Yang mentioned. "We should just push on."

The group continued, mowing down waves after waves of goons and robots, heading down further and further into the complex. Several floors in, they reached a small, metallic door, and opening it, they saw a large, mostly empty room, with a single man in uniform standing before them. Weiss didn't spend much time, and readied the knight's blade, dashing at the man with her glyphs, only to be caught by surprise as soon as she was too close to him, and he pulled out a small remote, pushing one of the buttons, and opening a hatch above, letting a giant, robotic body fall on top of him as she jumped back. Weiss, having little time to react, activated her dilation glyph, trying to slow down time as much as she could, giving her just about enough time to step back, before the mech, resembling an atlesian paladin, landed on the floor, and the man, with surprising athletic skill, jumped into it, activating the machine and aiming it's canon at the group.

"Look out!" Yang called and ran in between the paladin and her team, using the Dust Celica to catch the shot of pure dust that came out of the mech suit. She saw as dust flowed all over the robot, fueling its weaponry. From there, she immediately went on the offensive, pulling a red dust crystal, and starting to chug fireballs with her punched at the modded paladin, which nimbly moved around the vast area they were in, avoiding her shots. She turned to Ruby, who activated her silver eyes, darting around the room as well, clashing with the paladin, who pulled out a large, pure dust blade, and starting to parry with Ruby, somehow managing to keep up with her.

"Blake!" Ruby called out to the faunus, who used her clones to try and restrict the paladin's movement, jamming several copies of Wilt into its legs before dissipating, and to some degree, slowing it down. Weiss loaded a green crystal into Myrtenaster, and as her armor flared bright green, she opened her heart, enlarging the blade to its full size, and waved it at the paladin's direction, sending a jolt of pure thunder at it, striking the machine directly. It stopped for a brief moment, and just before Ruby managed to approach it and slice the thing apart, the paladin's cockpit flew out into another hole that opened up on the floor next to it, and it burst with energy, as it exploded in front of the whole team. Weiss immediately used her glyphs to cover Ruby and protect her, counting of her own armor to safeguard her from the attack, while Yang ran over to Blake, and covered her from the explosion.

"I-Is everyone alright?" Ruby asked as the dust settled, and the rest of her team looked at her, all slightly hurt. Yang, for the most part, laid on the floor, with several bruises covering her, and Blake kneeling by her side, looking a bit worried.

"Yang!" Ruby instinctively dashed to her sister with her semblance, and with a blink of an eye, sat next to Blake. "Yang are you okay?!"

"Y-Yup..." Yang raised the Dust Celica, giving them a thumbs up. "My aura took more of the hit. I should be fine, but I really need to rest for a while, you know?..." At that moment, Ruby wished her silver eyes allowed her to see auras as well, just to make sure her sister was alright. Her eyes wandered to Yang's pouch, where she kept more of her dust crystal, and Yang noticed the idea form in her head.

"Ruby, you are NOT infusing a dust crystal just so that you could see my aura." Yang decreed.

"Why not?! I could even help heal you!" Ruby called in disappointment.

"Need I remind you what happened to the soldiers in the war? Ruby, you are just not ready for this sort of thing yet. It took me several months of preparations before I even attempted a multi-crystal dust forging." She looked, only to see both Ruby and Blake's faces turn and tumble. "I just told you two, don't fret over this. We've been through way worse. Weiss!" She called out to her sister's partner. "Mind helping out and checking ahead? You should be fine on your own!"

Weiss begrudgingly agreed, and went to the opposite wall from where they came, where another door stood. She opened it, and turned to her team, an annoyed expression forming on her face.

"Dead end." She said quickly.

"What do you mean, 'Dead end'?" Ruby wasn't quite sure she understood that.

"I mean that literally. The hallways end here."

"What?!" Ruby dashed through, only to see that, indeed, the door before her led to nothing more than an empty room. "Then what was the whole point of this!?"

"I assume a distraction. To perhaps buy them some time to smuggle the winter maiden away in case we showed up." Blake deducted. "Anyway, the moment Yang heals we should head out and find JNPR."

"Then I guess it's up to Jaune and his team for now, huh..." Ruby mused over the situation.

* * *

Team JNPR ran through the various halls of the complex, looking for a way for getting further down. Without Yang to guide them towards the aura, Jaune and his team were forced to improvise, and so far, they tried to cover as much ground as they could, and whenever a path split in front of them, they split as well, checking the few meters ahead of them, before deciding which path to take. As they ran through one of the halls, another group of thugs came into their war path, and Nora, having the time of her life, swung her hammer wildly, knocking them out with blunt strikes, while Penny did the cleanup, and swiped the unconscious bodies to the sidelines.

"We've got a few more!" Ren called out, holding StormFlower in his hands, gunning down several of the robots that now seemed to have noticed their presence, aiming to kill the group.

"I got it! Penny, stay back!" Jaune cried out, and Penny flew back as far away from Jaune as she could, while he stood valiantly in front of their enemies, and called upon his semblance.

"Let all be equal!" He shouted and his semblance, triggered by his innate desire to even see fairness brought forth, enveloped everything around him, disabling the robots in front of them. The humans, surprised by what had just happened, stepped back for a bit, but nonetheless, charged forth, pulling their pistols at Jaune, who just stood there, grinning and readying his blade. One of them pressed the trigger, and the dust bullets, suppressed by the Equalizer's semblance, fizzled out, doing nothing.

"What?!" The hired gun shouted, and drew his sword, obviously laced with dust, and came to attack Jaune, who blocked him with Crocea Mors. Unlike modern weapons, Jaune's blade didn't have a speck of dust embedded into it, and while most of the time this would be considered a disadvantage, his ability to disable auras and dust made this an exception. Jaune twisted his blade, staggering his opponent, and swung his sword, shattering the dust blade into pieces on the spot. By now, most of them realized what was going on, and so, none of the goons even dared to step forward, only forming a human wall in front of them, blocking the door behind them.

"Nora, Ren, you know what to do." Jaune turned to the two organic members of his team, and the trio approached the mercenaries, weapons in hand. From there, the fight was rather one-sided, with team JNPR, with the exception of Penny, being well versed in fighting under Equalizer, and it took them several short minutes to beat down the small horde of black-suited thugs. Penny, all the while, had to stay put in the back. She and Jaune had no idea what would happen to her dust core if Jaune's semblance came into direct contact with Penny. There was even he offshoot chance that the dust that makes up her aura would cease to function, effectively killing her for good.

When the fight was finally over, Jaune deactivated his semblance, and the team headed to the door in front of them, opening it.

And within, they saw a small child, with white hair, looking as terrified as though she saw death itself approach her.


	57. Victims of Circumstance

Team JNPR looked at Engel Schnee, the young, and newly sired, winter maiden, sitting in her small bunker room, starting at the group with fear. Observing the area, they could the room she was in had very little to offer, and besides the clean chrome walls, a small bed stood to their left, while several toys were stashed at one of the corners of the room, seemingly for her to have something to do. On the floor laid a simple, light orange carpet, on which the titular winter maiden sat, eyes filled with fear. As for the maiden herself, she was dressed in a rather simplistic, yet elegant white dress, and her hair, an almost white shade of blonde, reached her upper back, being straight and clean.

"H-Hey..." Jaune tried to strike a conversation with the girl, but the only response he got from her was a small shriek, as she ran to her bed, and hid under the blanket, apparently not knowing her own power.

"Let me try." Penny said to the team leader, and started to hover gently towards her. In her mind, Jaune's stern expression and muscles could scare a young girl such as this, and so, Penny resolved to try her luck in calming down the small maiden. She gently floated towards the girl, lifting the blanket gently, and looking into her eyes, trying to look as soothing as possible.

"Don't worry... We're here to protect you..." Penny gave her a wide, happy smile, to which Engel seemed to have calmed down a little, and started at the rest of the group, and while looking a little better, Jaune's attire and expression still made her shiver a little.

"Jaune, would you mind leaving? You're scaring her." Penny asked the male, and Jaune, giving a small, disappointed sigh, stepped outside of the room, leaving Penny, Nora, and Ren to tend to the child, at least until team RWBY showed up, which they figured wouldn't take long. By now, they must've gotten to the other side of the complex, and they were bound to retrace their steps soon enough.

"Now that the big, scary man left, do you want to tell me your name?" Penny asked her innocently.

"...E-Engel." The child replied, and Penny saw a hint of confidence grow in her eyes.

"Great! Now, Engel, where are your parents? They must be worried sick about you." Penny continued her simple line of questioning. Right now, it was important to make a quick and simple bond with her, enough to at least gain her trust for now.

"P-Papa left for a while to talk to my uncle." She mumbled. "He said that when he gets back, they'll take him and me to another safe place..."

"And what about your mother?" Penny raised her eyebrow. The moment her mother was mentioned, Engel's eyes fell down, and she looked sadder than before.

"M-Mama left... Ever since I was a little girl..." After saying such a thing, the group fell silent. Hearing that disheartened the group for a bit, but nonetheless, Penny kept her smile, and tried to look as cheerful as possible. Alas, she couldn't think of anything special to say, that wouldn't anger the child, and wouldn't be a blatant lie.

"Heyyy, Engel..." Nora came close to her as well, and pressed her finger against the girl's nose. "Boop."

Engel seemed a little confused at Nora's gesture, and yet, she couldn't help herself but giggle a tiny bit, as the tension seemed to have calmed down a little.

Penny laughed a little too, and turned to the girl. "Anyway, we should head out. We can take you somewhere where you will really be safe." Penny came to take her hand, but Engel pulled hers away, refusing to take Penny's.

"N-No. Papa told me to wait for him."

"Well, then let's wait for your papa together, okay?" Penny raised the pitch of her voice on that last word. "Then you and him can come with us together!"

This seemed to make Engel feel better, and she even managed to put on a small smile on her face, and Ren, not wanting to cause any trouble in the three girl's bonding, stepped outside as well, seeing Jaune lean against one of the walls, looking at nothing in particular, and being lost in thought.

"So... She wants to wait for her father..." Ren stood next to him.

"Figures." It was quite obvious in hindsight that she would want that. _After all, what kind of child would want to abandon his parents behind?_ Jaune thought to himself, and distant memories of home began to come into his mindscape, where he and his seven sisters lived together. He could never understand what it's like to live as a single child, and even for him, his parents were amongst the most important people he ever knew.

"But do we really have the time?" Ren asked him, starting to sound a bit worried. "As far as we know, Raven could show up at any moment now."

Jaune closed his eyes and thought. Why Raven wasn't there yet to attack them and kill the maiden was something he didn't have an answer to. How she even knew where to find them in the beginning was, as well, an enigma in his eyes. Perhaps Yang could answer those question for him, but as of this moment, Yang wasn't there to help them, and he was in charge of protecting the winter maiden. If worse came to worst, he was well prepared to activate his semblance, and take on Raven one on one.

"We need to try and coax her into coming with us." Jaune decided after giving it some thought. "We can't just sit here and wait. We'd be like sitting ducks for Raven to come after."

"Then how do you propose we talk her into this? She seems to be frightened of you."

"True," As much as Jaune would have loved to retain his older, more klutzy persona with him, just for cases like these, the war pretty much stripped that away from him, and it left Jaune with a much harsher view of the world, though a more realistic one as well. "But we can't stay much longer. The moment Ruby and her team get here, we're leaving, even if we have to drag her with us."

"..." Ren didn't say anything, and just leaned on the wall next to Jaune, thinking about how they should go about this. He assumed that Penny and Nora might be able to talk some sense into her, and convince the young maiden to leave with them, but even then, they still had to travel all of Atlas without Raven catching up to them.

After a few minutes of standing there and thinking, Jaune and Ren heard footsteps approaching them from the other side of the hall. When they looked, they noticed the four members of team Ruby striding in their direction, with Yang looking pretty beat and Ruby having a pissed look on her face.

"What happened?" Jaune asked the four the moment they were within hearing range. As they got closer, he could see that Yang was also injured in several places, and yet, her aura did some remarkable work at healing her, only empowered by the dust in her blood, as the wounds closed themselves slowly before his very eyes. "You guys look like you ran into a dead end."

"That's exactly what happened." Ruby said a bit gruff. "We even had to fight some modded version of an atlesian paladin, which only ended with it exploding in our faces, literally..."

From the way Ruby talked about the whole matter, Jaune realized that further investigating as to the specifics of what happened to them was not a good idea, and he let the issue slide. "In any case, we found the winter maiden. She's in the room behind us." He pointed to the door at the end of the hall. "Currently, Nora and Penny are trying to make friends with her, so that she agrees to come with us to New Vale."

"And why are you out here then?" Blake asked, only to see Jaune and Ren's stern expression, and quickly figure out why herself. "Oh. That's why."

"I guess we just look a little too intimidating for such a young child..." Jaune mused, and turned to the group. "But I think she'll take it better with you guys. Who knows, you might be able to help the rest of our team in convincing her to follow us out of here instead of waiting for her father to come back."

"Well, we'll try our best." Ruby resolved, and went over to the door, opening it slowly.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Engel yelped in fear as the door opened on its own, and a small brunette entered her small, safe space, now filled with her two real friends.

"Ah, Ruby!" Penny called out to her, and seeing her friend recognize this new person and call her over, Engel took a small breath, as the tension left her body. This day was stressful enough on the little Schnee, as not only was she woken up in the middle of the night by her father, who hurried her to this small room in the middle of nowhere, his behavior changed almost overnight, turning from mundane and usual to frenetic and stressed. "Engel, this is my friend Ruby! She's also here to help you!"

"Hi!" Ruby tried to put on her best smile for the kid, and the Schnee, while taking a quick glance at the hunk of metal strapped to her back and looking a bit scared, managed to accept this new person and turned to her.

"H-Hello..." She said shyly.

"Wait, Ruby, where are the rest of your team?" Penny asked her, as the door opened, and the other three came into the room, trying to look as cheerful as possible. Yang even took a few moments to rebandage her arm, and hide away the Dust Celica.

"Well, this my team, team RWBY!" Ruby called out, as she noticed Engel's eyes turn to the other white haired girl in the room, and her single, vertical scar covered it. The more she looked, the more Engel seemed to slip away into paranoia, and Yang, seeing this, wanted to say something to try and calm her down.

"Don't worry, kid. Weiss isn't nearly as bad as-" She didn't even finish that sentence before Engel gave out a loud shout, covered herself in her blanket again, shivering with fear.

"S-Stay A-Away!" She called out at the former heiress. "Please don't kill me! Please!" Her pleads for mercy filled the room, and Weiss, looking at what she could only describe as a younger version of herself, felt a hint of disappointment rising in her, as well as anger.

"Calm down!" Weiss commanded, but hearing her actually speak only made Engel more scared than before, as they could see hints of blue glow start to appear beneath the blanket.

"Just s-stay away!" She went on. Weiss already took into consideration that her father must have spread awful rumors about her amongst the Schnee family, in order to make sure that she could never come back into the family, not even any of the branches. However, making her into a monster in the child's eyes was just unnecessarily over the top in her opinion. Regardless, they were now stuck, as even Penny and Nora couldn't help her relax, and Engel's emotions went haywire, as the temperature began to drop all around them.

"Engel, please, it's okay..." Penny tried to lift the blanket again, but the young winter maiden didn't let up, and all of a sudden, a blast of ice came from her hand, hitting Penny and sending her crashing into the wall.

"Penny!" Ruby came to run towards her friends, and Engel, terrified by the sudden movement in front of her, screamed once more, and sent a pulse of frost all around her, leaving everyone partially frozen to the ground.

"Ugh..." Ruby tried to move, and surprisingly, it took her a short while before she managed to break free from the ice, and get to the android.

"Penny! you..."

"Don't worry, Ruby." Penny smiled to her and explained. "When my father rebuilt me and gave my body the ability to grow, he also improved my self-repair functions. It's nothing serious" Penny's gaze wandered to the winter maiden. "You should talk to her. She must be terrified."

"I know." Ruby stood up, and turned to the winter maiden, taking a deep breath, and putting on another facet of the angel's persona. While she could look stern and regal when she needed to inspire people, Ruby also kept another part of her as loving and caring as she used to be before.

"Hey, hey, don't be sad..." Ruby came and sat next to Engel on her bed, all the while having to use her semblance to avoid frozen projectiles launched at her with high velocity. "We really are here just to protect you, see?" She tried to lift the blanket again, giving Engel a loving and caring look, only for the child to retreat inward, and try and push her away again. Ruby, not wanting to give up just yet, came close, letting her aura absorb all the attacks that the young Schnee threw at her, and gave her a gentle, slow hug through the blanket. Engel, both confused and terrified by her abilities and by Ruby's tenderness, pulled over the blanket, revealing her ice-blue eyes beneath, as the group saw her calm down, with the exception of Weiss.

"So,-" Weiss came to speak again, only noticing Engel's reaction to her even opening her mouth being genuine fear. She grunted, and decided she had enough of this bullshit for now, simply turning back and closing the door behind her, meeting Jaune and Ren outside. After her, Penny, Blake and Yang, and even Nora left the room, leaving the angel with the child, of which she seemed to trust a little more at the moment.

"You shouldn't be afraid of Weiss. She won't harm you." Ruby told her.

"B-But papa and uncle told me she was dangerous. She tried to kill uncle!"

The amount of lies being fed to the girl by her family managed to astonish Ruby. Of course, she could tell her the truth about Weiss, but Ruby felt that just pouring such harsh realities on such a young child would definitely scar her, and she opted to keep silent about most of it, at least for now.

"Well, Weiss could be very scary, but you don't you don't have to be concerned with her. As long as I'm here, she won't even try to hurt you, okay?" Ruby reassured her, and Engel's face turned to her hands, as she seemed to not be able to grasp her newfound control on ice.

"You have a very special gift." Ruby told her, using a more friendly and relaxed language. She couldn't just come up to a child and drop the whole maiden's story on her like it was not a big deal. Cases like these required a more intimate and personal touch. "Your gift makes you very, very important."

"Is that why papa took me here?" Engel asked her innocently, and Ruby smiled in response.

"Yes, this is why. However, some very bad men are still going to come after you, which is why my team and I are here." Ruby continued her quiet explanation. "We are here to make sure you are safe from the evils of the world."

"B-But what about papa?" Once again, she changes the subject to her father. At this point, Ruby couldn't tear her away from her only family, and so, she decided between herself to wait out, at least for now.

"Well, we'll be sure to stay until your papa comes back, alright?" Ruby gave her another beaming and bright smile, and the girl grinned back, as the two shared a brief, if not tranquil moment. "You must be tired, huh?" Ruby asked her after a short while of not saying anything, and noticing the girl's eyes became quite heavy.

"Y-Yeah..." She nodded back.

"Then you should sleep a little. I'll wake you up when your papa shows up." Ruby got up, and headed to the door, leaving the child to cuddle in her blanket and lie on her bed, catching some sleep after all the instance events that just happened, at least from her perspective. Outside, Ruby met an impatient and serious looking Jaune and Weiss, coupled with the rest of the teams, all of which had similar expressions.

"Please tell me you didn't tell her we'll wait." Jaune's voice was a bit desperate.

"Sorry, but it was impossible." Ruby concluded. "She is too young to deal with all of this on her own, and she needs her father."

"Then what do we do when Raven shows up out of nowhere and kills her?" Weiss asked her this time, and Ruby closed her eyes for a brief moment , thinking about their predicament.

"We should patrol the outside of the warehouse. Make sure she can't get any close from the outside. She may be able to teleport, but something tells me she'll need to take distance between herself and her target. Yang, Blake, Weiss, I'm leaving this to you." She told the members of her team. "Jaune and I will stay here and guard her personally."

"Same for you guys." Jaune pointed to the rest of team JNPR. "If Raven does decide to come in directly, I'll use my semblance to stop her right there and then. You guys look outside, and if her father shows up, take him to us as soon as you can. Got it?"

The groups nodded, and they split paths, the majority of them leaving for the outside, stationing themselves around the warehouse, waiting for Engel's father to come back.

* * *

An hour had past so far, and nothing happened. Engel woke up, and was talking to Ruby from outside of her little room, while Jaune was keeping Vigil over the front entrance. He wanted to be the first to be able to react, seeing as Ruby's aura was damaged from Engel's earlier use of her powers. The two waited in silence, until suddenly, Ruby's scroll rung, and she opened it, to see a message from Weiss.

_'Raven's here. Get ready.'_

So far, Ruby figured the six of them should be able to take her on, and yet, seeing how much Raven was empowered by her recent augmentation, Ruby could never be sure. She got up, and pulled Crescent Rose, prepared for the worst, as black ooze started to drift from the door on the other side, and various grimm started to manifest inside the hallway. Ruby dashed forward, using her silver eyes to fuel her strength, and spun her scythe around, killing the grimm as they entered the corridor. If this was their plan for getting the winter maiden, they were going to have to try harder then THAT. Like the grimm in Vacuo, these ones were corrupt and twisted, looking more and more eldritch with each iteration that Ruby and Jaune, who joined her shortly after, slew. Limbs multiplied and divided as beowulves and ursai fused together to create even more terrifying forms and shapes. Wings and stings popped everywhere, and looking at this misshapen pile of black sludge, body parts and bone masks and other features would have sent fear into the heart if any other huntsmen. However, both Ruby and Jaune knew the stakes, and so, they steeled their hearts, not letting even the smallest glimpse of fear get to them, as the number of the grimm dwindled, being killed faster than they could spawn. As for Ruby herself, she could only imagine how the grimm even managed to get this far down.

"AHHH!" Jaune called out, and unleashed several cuts, killing another one of the grimm, while guarding Ruby from another one with his shield, giving her enough time to activate her silver eyes, and slice the monsters around her all at once. So far, Jaune was playing conservative on his own aura, deferring the use of his semblance for when something truly serious came about, seeing as he could take on regular grimm just fine. He jumped forth, spinning in place, while slicing several tiny nevermores, all of which circled him for a while now, trying to bite into his skin.

Suddenly, the grimm attack subsided, and Ruby noticed another text on her scroll. She quickly pulled it out, only to see another message from Weiss:

_'Raven's gone. Went into one of her portals. Also, the girl's father is here. We're on our way.'_

At first sight, this should have relived Ruby. The grimm fell back, Raven retreated, and even Engel's father came back. But still, the wording Weiss used worried her, and she expected the worst, as a crimson portal opened up in front of the two, just where the grimm used to be, and Raven dashed forth, with her sword in hand, already readying an attack. Jaune reacted first, and activated his semblance, negating the faux-aura and the dark glow around Raven, leaving her with only her most basic physical skills. As Raven clashed into Ruby, the huntress was able to block her just in time, and Raven jumped back, taking a small detour from her target, and redirected her attention to Jaune, brandishing her blade.

"Just rest Ruby." He talked to her as his opponent inched closer and closer, and he prepared his own sword. "I can do this."

He and Raven charged at each other, trading blows over and over. In this fight, without any flashy auras and semblances, Jaune was finally able to gauge his abilities in full against a truly fearsome opponent, as the lack of aura seemed to not bother Raven in the least. She simply attacked on and on, unleashing the full might of her physical strength, which Jaune completely underestimated, and slowly, it seemed that the fight tipped in her favor, as unlike Raven, Jaune couldn't let himself get hit, no matter what. Without his aura to heal him, even the most basic attacks could be lethal, and something told him that unlike him, Raven wouldn't suffer the same consequences from getting stabbed. The two clashed, as Raven gave a vertical swing, prompting Jaune to block with his shield, only for Raven to switch directions at the last moment, and turn the blade to the side, taking Jaune by surprise. He managed to parry with his sword, but just barely, as Raven's sheer physical speed was almost uncanny. Jaune tried to go on the offensive, and ran towards Raven, his shield held forward, and as soon as he was close enough, he rolled around her, managing to get behind her back, and he slashed at Raven, leaving a wound in her back, which luckily didn't get etched with black ooze right away. Raven spun in place, her assault not stopping, as though she wasn't didn't even feel the pain, and sent her blade forward, managing to get behind Jaune's shield, and stab him in the shoulder. Jaune staggered back, blood starting to spill from his wound, and he gave her a fierce look, trying to get up. Alas, the pain became to great, and Raven came up to him, sending her blade against his throat. Jaune, in a last attempt to save his life, raised his shield, taking the full force of the attack with his hand, as it flew back, hitting him on the head. This, coupled with the stab injury, finally managed to take out the equalizer, as he fell to the floor, unconscious, and his semblance retreated, allowing Raven to radiate her dark glow once again. Ruby, in a last attempt at stopping Raven, tried to shoot her with Crescent Rose, but Raven's aura absorbed the bullets, leaving no trace of damage on her, as the cut on her back got etched as well. Ruby got up, and dashed at Raven, who sent a pulse of darkness, knocking Ruby back on her knees, having no aura left to fight.

Suddenly, a bullet flew through the air, hitting Raven's back. She turned around, only to see a middle-aged man with white hair, holding a single pistol in his two shaking hands, aiming it at her.

"L-Leave my daughter alone or I'll shoot again!" He called out to her. After he got back to the safehouse, Wolke Schnee was surprised to see six huntsmen guarding the entrance, including the one Schnee he never wanted to meet. Explaining the situation to him, he decided that perhaps listening to the rest would be at least reasonable, and the group went back down, heading to his daughter's room, when all of a sudden, grimm emerged out of nowhere, and attacked them, as what appeared to be a knight of sorts stood on the far end, summoning the beasts. The huntsmen told him to carry on while they took care of this, and he trailed off, looking to pick up his child and just get the hell out of there.

Raven, without saying a word, simply turned, and faced the man, giving him one last chance to escape with his life intact. When she noticed he wasn't backing down, she drew her blade, and dashed towards him, as he shot her several times, only to see in the last moments of his life that the dust bullet had no effect on her whatsoever.

And from there, all Ruby could do was watch in horror as the person who used to be her sister's mother went into the room behind her, and a single scream was heard, only to be snuffed out shortly later.

* * *

Ruby stood outside of the warehouse, as Atlas specialists came to clean up the scene, Winter not being able to have this sort of mess on her hands in her current predicament. Raven vanished without a trace, just as quickly as she came, with the grimm knight and his spawn following suit the moment they no longer needed to buy time, and as suspected, she took the Winter maiden's powers, already sending them to Salem or something.

"Ruby?" Yang approached her from behind. While being distraught as well, sensed Ruby's aura was shifting weirdly, and she wanted to check out on her sister. "Are you okay?..."

"I don't even know anymore..." Ruby turned to her. "I should be mad. Furious even, at the monster that attacks a child to achieve her goals. I should be cursing her name to oblivion, and swear to avenge her at all costs. And yet, after all we've been through, I can't even look at death and be disgusted by it." It was strange, but considering the events given, Ruby was oddly calm about the whole manner. "But you know what really angers me?" She turned to her sister. "Not what happened. Rather, the sheer fact that I no longer feel myself torn apart by all of this is what angers me." Yang thought about what Ruby just said, and in a way, she was right. Compared to her reactions to death in the war, Yang herself found the ordeal of facing it much easier as time passed.

"There's nothing we can do anymore." Ruby turned to her. "Except finding the spring maiden and at least try to protect her. If we can manage that, perhaps we can still foil Salem's plan."

The two looked into the vacant night sky, still clinging to the hope they had left, as their friends joined them, strengthening their resolve.


	58. Blessings of Her Holiness

At this point, there was not much left to say and do in Atlas. After Engel's death, and the preceding cleanup issued by Winter, the two huntsmen team contacted Glynda, informing her about what happened in Atlas and how the mission went, with grievous tones in their voices. Glynda, looking just as saddened and shocked, decided they had no other choice, but to go to Mistral, and at the very least, try to protect the spring maiden from Raven and Salem's hands. By now, the knowledge about the maidens became worldwide, and so far, it seemed that while it was quite shocking, the concepts of four specially selected maidens to handle unique powers regarding the four seasons became an uneasy fact for the people of Remnant, and society went on, holding on to this new information. As for team RWBY and JNPR, only a few hours after the winter maiden incident, they were already hurried to the airship dock, catching the first flight possible to Mistral.

Blake sat and stared at the scenery of the vast skies and clouds floating beneath her and the ship they were on. In her heart, Blake just wanted everyone to have a peaceful, happy life, and yet, so far, her mission to protect other only seemed to fail, leaving two maidens, a vast majority of the atlesian army, her mentor, and even the moon itself dead. She felt extremely disheartened, and for the most part, didn't speak much, having the winter maiden's death trigger a lot of repressed emotions about her fight with Adam.

"Blake?" Yang approached her and sat by her side, seeing the stress come out of her aura. "...You seem a little off. Everything alright?"

Blake looked a little surprised at her lover, as though she expected her not to notice, and sighed. "No, Yang. It isn't."

"Well, what's wrong, then?" Yang questioned her.

"People keep dying, and the more time passes, the less I seem to be affected by it." At first glance, it seemed that Blake's dilemma was quite similar to Ruby's. "I want to create a better world, Yang!" Blake's voice raised out of nowhere. "I want to create a Remnant where everyone, both human and faunus, can live in peace and harmony. And yet, the more we go on this journey, they more I feel myself becoming the person I had to kill to move on!" She said as her eyes lowered to glance at Wilt & Blush, Adam's weapons. She was carrying them for almost as long as she could remember now, having them strapped to her for the past year and a half now, even a little more.

"Blake... I had no idea you felt like this..." Yang said, a little saddened. So far, Blake's aura seemed just fine, and she wondered how could her own partner manage to hide such a shift from her. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"...I didn't want to worry you. I've even taken to mask my aura's movements when you're around." She said and looked to the side. "I'm just so, so scared of what I might become..." She couldn't even finish that sentence before Yang came on to her, giving her a tight hug, and connecting their auras together thought the Dust Celica. All of a sudden, Blake felt as though her girlfriend enveloped her on all directions, warming up her very soul.

"You won't become anything else but yourself." Yang whispered into her ear, smiling. "No matter what you do or say, you won't change from being you."

"But how can I be sure that the I won't change too?"

Yang smiled a bit, and looked deep into her yellow eyes with her golden eyes. "Well, silly, just ask yourself!" She said as her finger touched Blake's chest, right in the middle.

Blake closed her eyes. Ever since the war ended, and her semblance evolved to allow her to create sentient clones, she could feel her own aura split apart, as though divided into several pieces at all times, while she herself somehow encompassed all of them simultaneously. She peered deep into her soul, and as she looked, three 'other' Blakes popped up in her mind, looking exactly like her, down to having the same completion, birthmarks and all, as well as her two weapons.

"..." Blake looked at her reflections, and as time passed, she noticed that each of them began to change: One started to fade away, its image smeared and blurred as it moved with her movements, becoming a mere afterimage of what she used to be.

One moved exactly like her, to a tee, not changing even the slightest thing about itself and obeying her body. From what she recalled, this was who she used to be as well. A person who wanted to protect others, and tried to take all the burden on herself.

And the last one, the most complete Blake of them all, didn't even move the same way she did, instead creating complementary dances to her own body language.

She looked at the three images of her life, each representing a different stage of her development as a huntress, pondering about what Yang had asked her. She tried to conjure the thought about death, wanting to see how her aura would react to her line of thought.

Her afterimage almost vanished, running away from the problem as she herself used to abandoned everything behind each time things got a little too rough.

The clone, seemingly not affected by it at all, kept its own pretense, copying the faunus' every move and step in her own mind.

And the final complete image of herself came over to her, and offered her a hug.

At that moment, Blake realized: She though she lost her fear, and her instinct, when she confronted them and moved on with her life. And yet, they were still parts of her being, existing on some level, be it as subconscious as it was. The way she felt was nothing more than a single aspect of herself, manifesting in her mindscape. Blake never truly changed. She was simply reminded of her own past and choices.

Blake smiled a little, looking at her several reflections, letting them return into her very aura, as she housed each of them. Blake opened her eyes, looking a bit better and decisive, and she looked at Yang, as her smile only widened, seeing Blake's aura's conditions improving.

"You see? I told you to listen to yourself." Yang said as though this knowledge about Blake's aura was obvious to her from the start, which granted, sort of was. She leaned on her lover's shoulder, and the two watched as the swamplands of Mistral came into view, Raven's dark could descending upon it, just like the other two kingdoms.

* * *

From the very start, Yang could tell something was off about the auras in Mistral: Even from several hundred feet in the air, the moment they penetrated the darkness and Mistral's auras came into view, Yang saw as their movement was almost unanimous. She was auras move in unison before, an example being she and her team as they fought together and combined their attacks, which obviously required them to sync up, but never in her life did Yang see so many auras move the exact same way. The sight almost reminded her of Blake's clones, each of them holding a piece of the original in them while they lasted, while all looking the same, but no matter from what angle she looked at the matter, it only served to unnerve her. This time, Blake noticed her discomfort, and approached her on the matter.

"Yang? You look like you saw a ghost or something." Blake asked with a curious tone.

"All of those auras... All move the same way..." Yang felt as though her own aura began to get into the hypnotic rhythm Mistral seemed to be possessed by, but at the last second, Blake shook her slightly, pulling her out of it.

"Yang?..." Blake asked again, and the Dustmaster looked at her, slightly confused at her situation. "You said something about all they auras in Mistral. What did you see?"

Yang shook her head, regaining her sense of self, and looked away from the ground below her, staring directly at Blake. "There are just so many clusters of auras down there... They all look and act like they were your clones..." Blake quickly got the picture, and peered down below as well.

"Well, whatever is going down over there, we'll soon find out. We have to find the spring maiden as soon as possible, after all, and something tells me Mistral is not going to make it easy." She said, as the two, along with Ruby, Weiss, and team JNPR, looked as the airship lowered itself, landing in Mistral.

* * *

"Welcome to Mistral! Blessings of the spring maiden upon you!"

This was the very first sentence spoken to them, by a rather flimsy dressed young woman, adorned with a floral crown, as they left the dock and headed towards the main city.

"Excuse me?" Ruby asked the girl as the two groups stopped, intrigued as well by her cheerful persona.

"Well, the spring maiden is one of the legendary four maidens of the world, you know!" The girl called to them as though they knew nothing about the matter. "They bring peace, love, and healing to the world, and ever since the church found the identity of the spring maiden here in Mistral, our kingdom has never been more, well, 'springy'!" She happily cheered on, but to Yang, nothing about her seemed to be any sort of happy in the least. Her aura was almost as constrained as Penny was when they first saw her, though not by artificial means, rather by what looked like self-imposed dogma and rules.

"Uh-huh..." Yang nodded as the girl continued, talking like a true preacher.

Unlike the other kingdoms of Remnant, Mistral held a large religious community, held together by the belief in god and his messengers. Though people outside the kingdom have been known to make smaller churches as well all around Remnant, Mistral was the religious center of the world, and many believers would make a pilgrimage to the city on foot, as some sort of testament to their belief.

As they walked through the streets, looking for some clue as to where the church was even keeping the spring maiden, they were finally able to get a good glimpse of Mistral, when it wasn't under paranoia and fear, and in broad daylight: The buildings, while looking old, were not nearly as simplistic as Vacuo, and instead, cathedral looking houses were stationed all over the place. While signs of technology were obvious in the city as a whole, Ruby couldn't help but feel as though they stepped back in time to about a century back, with all the gothic architecture all around her. From what she remembered, at night, the buildings didn't look as fancy and grand as this, and it all served to impress her, and send the angel into a state of awe.

"Look! It's the angel!" The call of a man across the street severed her sense on wonder, and she noticed how the people of Mistral literally averted their gaze when coming too close to her. In hindsight, it was obvious the most religious kingdom in the world would take the most notice of her walking the streets. Unlike them, when they were in Atlas, even though people did seem to recognize her, no one seemed to care for whatever title the rest of the world imposed on her.

"Yeesh..." Ruby rolled her eyes at the small mob of people now following them a mile back. Right now, they decided to head to the hotel Glynda prepared for them, but first, Ruby wanted to get rid of the crowd. "So..." She whispered to the rest of her team. "How do you reckon we get rid of them?"

"Hmm..." Ren though briefly. "Well, intimidation won't be a good option. We still have to move through the city unhindered." She nodded. "I think the best choice would be to make a run for it. At least the two of you." He pointed to Weiss and Ruby. "You do need someone to keep an eye out for you, and in any case, Weiss is the only one that can match up to you between all of us."

"Obviously." Weiss grinned and lifted her left hand, preparing the dilation glyph. "Ready, Ruby?" Ruby looked at her, as Weiss' face managed to show some eagerness in it.

"Okay! Now!" Ruby said flashed her silver eyes for a brief moment, giving her a momentary boost of energy, and she activated her semblance, dashing off with incredible speed. Weiss, not a second later, activated her dilation glyph, with at least enough range to make sure none of them could keep up with the two, as they ran forward, leaving a trail of red petals laced with white streams of light.

"Well, that was a thing..." Yang smiled awkwardly and scratched her head.

"Wait, does anyone even has the map to the hotel?" Jaune asked, as the group noticed the mob of believers, seeing their angel gone, went away, minding their own business.

"Ruby has it, Duh!" Nora giggled for a moment. "Jaune, you can be so slow sometimes!" She gave a short laugh before realizing what she just said meant. "Oh. Crap..."

"Well, it's okay." Yang sighed and focused of Ruby's unique aura, leading the group to her. Walking through the city unfollowed, the group finally managed to catch up with Ruby and Weiss, Ruby by now having her cloak on, hiding her face and most of her clothing from the people around her. Weiss, standing vigil next to her, noticed the group, as she tapped her foot on the ground impatiently.

"Took you long enough." She grunted at them.

"Well, so-o-ry for not being as fast as shit." Yang leered at her, and the group entered the simple looking hotel. Ruby came to talk to the reception, but Blake stopped her at the last minute.

"You should let us to the talking." Blake suggested, and Ruby, keeping her silence, stepped back, giving Blake, Weiss, and Yang the stage, as the group handled the paperwork, and the group was finally given a room to sleep in.

* * *

As the night settled, Yang deicide to head out to the roof, in order to get some peace of mind from the hustle and bustle of the few previous days, and perhaps find enough serenity to find the spring maiden. She opened her mind, and peered at the auras of Mistral, the religious streak mostly subsided now when most of the people were asleep, and the sense of uniqueness each of them should have held returned to them.

 _Okay, now to find her..._ Yang closed her eyes, went into her mediation positions, and focused, getting a clearer and clearer view of Mistral's auras. The went on, looking for the dark strand, when all of a sudden, she noticed it, quite easily this time, sitting in place in the middle of the city. However, taking a closer inspection of the aura made Yang quite tense: Unlike the last two maidens, this one had a dark strand so big, that she could have sworn that it covered almost half of her aura. No matter how the aura moved, the darkness latched onto it, as the black, almost static portion of her aura seemed to corrupt her further and further, slowly turning the rest of her soul black. It was weird, but now that Yang thought about it, both Heath's and Engel's auras weren't nearly as black as this one's, with heath having a visible strand, though not that big, and Engel, having been made the winter maiden shortly before her end, had a strand so small that Yang could barely see it.

 _So this is what being a maiden is like?..._ She thought to herself. It unsettled her to her core, and Yang decided that when they do get to the spring maiden, she was going to get to the bottom of this, and try and perhaps heal the maiden from the corruption etched to her very being.

Yang stayed there for a few more minutes, observing the populace of Mistral as a whole. The experience she had on the airship on the way there was still fresh in her mind, and in a way, it sort of worried her. Something about the mob mentality the people exampled was all so surreal, that if it wasn't for Blake, she would have easily been swayed by it. She hated to admit it, but this was one of the bad sides of being able to attune to auras: When such a large group feels the same way, their emotional state starts to bleed into Yang's mind, almost forcing her to feel the same way. This happened to her at the war, and it repeats again here, in Mistral, forcing Yang to tone down her aura vision during the daylight, if she didn't want to become a religious nut job. This brought up the way Weiss controlled her aura with perfection, and with time, Yang noticed how Ruby slowly but surely made the same transition, going from letting her aura flow to monitoring it with her will. In a way, this saddened Yang, seeing her sister adapt to such a way of thinking, but alas, it was inevitable. Ruby's silver eyes required her to have very precise control over the flow of her aura if she didn't want to lose control again. But, beneath the disappointment, Yang couldn't help but feel proud of her kin. Ruby had grown quite a bit in the two years since the old Vale fell, much like Yang herself and the team in general. Even Jaune and his team, with the inclusion of Penny, made great strides and progress, and Nora and Red were stronger than ever, Ren opting to be more of a strategist, and Nora's strength reaching new heights all the time. Even Penny, with her improved body, proved herself a much more component fighter, and much like Blake in team RWBY, she was the more crowd control fighter, being able to handle massive groups of grimm at once.

After sitting there for a few more minutes, Yang finally felt her body call out for rest, and she got up, headed to the rented room they had in Mistral for now.

* * *

When morning came, after everyone ate and prepared for the day, Yang called them for a meeting, telling them about the location of the spring maiden.

"And you saw her in the middle of Mistral, right?" Ruby asked her once more, wanting to make sure.

"Yeah. She there, alright." Yang said with confidence.

"Well, let's go then. We should head out to pick her up as soon as possible. Yang, if you will..." Weiss turned to the Dustmaster, who looked hesitant about boosting her aura sense.

"Well... I'd prefer to keep it low for now..." Yang lowered her voice, as the rest of her team looked at her with confusion.

"Why? Something happened?" Jaune asked her as he noticed Blake looking at her with understanding,

"Well... I just can't explain it, but I feel that if I look at the people here too much, I might lose myself in their devotion." She said hesitantly. "I'd prefer to save my aura vision for when we need to look at something closer to us. Tracing the maiden from this long would expose me to all of that... " She paused for a second, not sure how to even describe the vibe she got from the people. "Strangeness..."

The group looked at her silently.

"W-Well, I already told you, she's in the center of Mistral. Besides, if the spring maiden was really already uncovered here, we should have no problem finding out where exactly she is, right?"

"I guess you're right." Ruby concluded. "If you don't want to use your aura vision, we won't force you. It doesn't seem like it would be necessary here. Anyway, we should leave." Ruby got up and went to the door, the rest of the team following her. As they walked Mistral's streets, headed towards the center of the city, they could hear people all around them praising the spring maiden, calling her the second angel of Remnant, which sent a bad vibe through Ruby, hidden under her cloak. The group as a whole drew as little attention to themselves as possible, using various hats and such to hide their faces, or at least make their identity less obvious to deduce. The last thing they need right now was another group of devoted following them everywhere they went, pretty much killing any sense of privacy and discreetness they had. As they approached the center, the religious vibes only intensified, to the level that Yang began to actively worry about her own well being, not being able to turn the aura vision off anymore. Blake even began to hold her hand, giving Yang an emotional anchor to attach herself to, just to take some measures against the almost literal brainwashing she was facing. After wandering about for a couple of hours, with no result, they decided to send Penny, the least known of the group, to ask someone for directions.

"Salutations, sir!" She called out to a bypasser. "Can you tell me where is the residence of the spring maiden?"

"Oh, her holiness?" The terminology made Ruby shrink a little inside. "Over there." He pointed towards one of the largest buildings, standing right in the middle of Mistral. "In the central Church of our beloved creator."

The church, which towered far above the rest of buildings around it, was a true architectural marvel to behold. At least five pillars adorned the grand cathedral, each pair connected by an arch painted with the various colors of the rainbow. The whole building felt old and ancient, and yet, the state of the walls and the lack of fauna on any of them proved that the building was under constant maintenance and supervision, always kept in peak condition. Looking around, they could even spot several cleaners running around, scrubbing the grand establishment with zealousness like the which they have never seen.

Entering the cathedral, the group was astonished to discover the interior was just as impressive as the outside, several chandeliers covering the ceiling, each one adorned with crystals and painted glass, which seemed to cover the windows as well, forming beautiful pictures of men with wings and horrific images of demonized creatures of grimm doing battle in each of them. Not a minute after they entered the place, one of the priests noticed them, and ran in their direction, putting on a large, smiling face.

"Welcome! Welcome! How may I help you?!" He almost yelled at them with a voice this loud.

"Well, we're looking for the spring maiden." Ruby tried the direct approach. "Do you know where she is?"

"But of course!" He nearly shouted again, and pointed to one on the doors standing at the end of the cathedral. "She is within the inner sanctums, tending to her duties, healing the injured and curing the deathly ill." As he went on and one, rambling about how the spring maiden was the best possible thing to ever happen to Remnant, Yang couldn't help but pay attention to the man's aura. She focused her sight on the short range between the two, allowing her to avoid unneeded devotion from the other priests, as she noticed how the man's aura moved with complete disregard to his words. If he was a stern as a believer as he claims to be, his aura should've moved differently, more according to someone who spoke the truth.

And then it dawned on her: His attitude was a facade.

From what Yang could fathom, as far as information went, he was telling the truth, and while Yang didn't want to expand her own aura sense so much wide, catching others in it, she could also tell his words were, in fact, the truth. However, it became apparent that the devoted attitude he showed them was nothing more than a lie, for reasons she could not understand just yet, not having the ability to read minds, just emotions.

"Great!" Ruby cheered. "Can we meet her."

The priest, keeping his former smile and appearance, simply opened his mouth.

"But of course you can't!"

The group stared at him for a brief minute, not sure they heard him correctly.

"Come again?" Jaune asked this time.

"You can't meet her!" The priest said. "The spring maiden is a very important person. You can't just come out of nowhere and talk to her. She has lot of healing to do." He said as the wide smile he held so far started to twist into a menacing grin.

"Well, can we at least schedule a meeting with her?" Blake asked.

"No!" He called out without even explaining, as a bunch of other priests came about, looking just as threatening.

"Now..." He finally lowered his voice. "If you kids know what's good for you, I suggest you turn tail and LEAVE." As he said that last word, his charade dropped for only a moment, unveiling a cruel look. "The spring maiden is a holy figure. We cannot just let anyone who wants meet her. Only the pure may be allowed into the inner sanctums."

The tension rose up, as the group was circled, and Yang could tell that these people were not just priests, holding to their religion. They had serious combat experience, almost akin to huntsmen, and even with all eight of them, taking on the entire church of Mistral and its forces might not be a smart idea.

"Well!" Suddenly, the priests returned to their old form, smiling as wide as ever, and the rest left, leaving the two teams with the one they spoke to before. "I was great to see such a diverse group of youths interested in our precious spring maiden! I will now show you to the outside!" He walked to the exit, and the group, getting the hint, came with him, not wanting to cause a scene.

"Now what do we do?" Nora wondered now that they were kicked out of the very place that held their target.

"First, we investigate the church." Ruby concluded.

"Then, we break in."


	59. The Church of Ambition

The two teams of huntsmen returned to their small hotel room, and sat with each other in silence. So far, the church of Mistral seemed not to care for Ruby at the very least, and while the general populace regarded her as an angel, the church's only official messenger of God appeared to be the spring maiden, now locked away tightly in the inner sanctums of the cathedral.

"I don't like that place" Yang finally spoke up. "Everything there just feels so... Weird and corrupt..." Her choice of words came a little confusing to the rest of the team. "Even the priests there seemed to be nothing more than actors pretending to be friendly..."

"And yet, the spring maiden is there..." Ruby mused. "And if you're right, we just can't leave her with those priests. Who knows what they put her through in there."

"Well, they mentioned she was healing and curing others, right?" Ren brought up. "Perhaps her maiden's powers made her seem like a perfect fit for a prophecy of theirs."

"It is possible, but either way, we can't just leave her there." Blake added. "If not for the people of Remnant, then at least for her. Raven could show up any minute now."

"How does she even keep finding them?" Nora brought up. "It's not like she has any super eyes too, right?" She turned to Yang.

"N-No, but I think I know how." She explained to her team, disregarding Nora's terminology. "Each maiden has a dark strand imprinted on her soul, and the last two had much smaller amounts of it compared to this one. I think she is attracted to that darkness."

"But why dark?" Penny wondered. "One would think the maidens, who possess such powers, wouldn't have any darkness."

"So far, the details managed to hide themselves from me, but I fear the worst. This power already eclipses her soul." Yang mentioned. At this point, she wasn't even sure if Glynda and Qrow knew about this. Honestly, the knowledge they had about the maidens seemed to by quite abstract, not even knowing the spesifics of how each maiden is chosen, apart for having a certain motif to the girl chosen.

The group returned to their silence, and Ruby and Jaune started at each other, thinking what to do. "So, what do you make of it?" Jaune spoke up, looking for a suggestion from her.

"Well, if you want to plan an attack, you have to know your enemy. That's why our first move is to learn as much as we can about the main church." Ruby answered with sternness. She really thought that, but in a way, she also had an ulterior motive: In New Vale, a small cult started to develop around her during the war, and as much as it was tiring to lead that, it paled in comparison to what a fully fledged religious force could do to one, young woman. Ruby had to know what they were dealing with in here, both for the sake of the spring maiden and for her own curiosity.

"Then it's settled." Weiss concluded. "Though, we have to find a way to blend in. We can't just go around asking questions like that to any passerby. People would get suspicious fast."

"True... True..." Ruby thought for a moment to use her own status to challenge the church and try and coerce them to allow her into the sanctum, but even if she succeeded, getting the spring maiden out in one fell swoop under what would most likely be a single visit all by herself was out of the question. "Then we need to find whatever information we can get on the church from the outside first." She said as she pulled up her scroll, and the rest followed suit, rummaging the internet for whatever valid information they could get.

In their searches, not much was available. The church's website, for obvious reasons, wouldn't give them any information they would have needed to break in there, and so, they were forced to seek out more, conspicuous sites to find information in. Amongst what they found readily available to the public, a ton of the information seemed to be contradictory. Reports that mismatched in numbers, articles claiming supposed 'chosen ones' That the church raised to be sent out to the world to rid it of the grimm, even though the huntsmen Academy was just as adept at doing so, perhaps even more. The more they dug in, the more it became apparent that the church had a finger in everyone's pie in Mistral, and even the sources of information online were drenched in propaganda and religious dogma, all perpetrated for the sake of making the church seem as friendly and as benevolent as possible. Of course, none of them bought into any of this, as the facts continued to clash against each other, it became clear that there were much, much deeper secrets to the church then it would seem. Once the public records stopped being of any relevance, the two teams went for sources considered less valid, such as conspiracy sites and gossip articles. All of a sudden, they were bombarded with rumors and theories about the dark dealings that occur with the cathedral's walls. It was a known fact that the church held quite the deals of power in Mistral's inner economy and politics, and thus, it would be fair to assume that the more you were on top of the ranks, the more power you had within the kingdom's walls, prompting them to backstab each other in a desperate ploy for control, or at least, that was the impression that came from all of those conspiracy theories, though the chain of deaths in mysterious circumstances in the church was abnormally high.

"Well, this is quite interesting..." Ren pondered, looking at this new information. "I think it's fair to say that whatever is going on in there, we can't waste any more time. If Raven doesn't get to the spring maiden first, in the end someone from within the church might even harm her."

"Then let's head out." Jaune stood up, and pulled his sword, checking it for any cracks or dents on the blade.

"And how do you even propose we go about doing that?" Weiss, again being the voice of logic, stepped in. "We don't even have any knowledge of any access points. We need someone who knows Mistral in order to pull that off!"

The group started at her, until Yang got an idea, taking her scroll and navigating to the phone app. "I think I have just the guy..."

* * *

"You want me to do WHAT?!"

"Look, Sun, it's really simple." Yang explained it to him for the tenth time now. "All we need you to do is help us infiltrate the central church of Mistral, so that we can get to the inner sanctum!"

Sun couldn't believe what he just heard. Haven was out for a holiday for the time being, and so, team SSSN decided to spend the days they had investigating Mistral and the strange occurrences in it lately, especially now that the maidens came to light, causing the church to act more and more erratically. Ever since his friends from Vale, which was New Vale at the moment, came and asked him for his assistance in tracking down Cinder's informant, Sun dedicated more of his time to gather knowledge on the kingdom he was in, using his natural charm and sneakiness to dig out valuable information on Mistral's inner workings. He figured that after what he saw with the refugees, and the sheer fact the Mistral almost outright banished them back to Vale the moment they could, that something was amiss within the kingdom.

"You, DO realize that this is the same church that holds the vast majority of power here, right? What makes you think _I_ can do anything to help?!"

"And I assumed you were good at doing stuff like that..." Yang taunted the monkey faunus. "Surely you can find a way to sneak through one, simple door, right?"

"You thought about getting there from THERE?" Sun almost burst into laughter. "If you actually came through the front door, you'd be slaughtered almost on the spot. The amount of guards they have stationed there is almost on paranoia levels." Sun heard quite a bit about the church's inner workings from personal sources he managed to obtain in the last year. In a sense, the church of Mistral acted quite similarly to how the Schnee Dust Company acted in Atlas, sans the overdose of racism against the faunus, though there were some bishops out there with quite the offensive world views.

"Well, from your reaction you seem to know about another way." Weiss took the scroll from Yang and talked. "Spill it."

"Hey, is that you, Ice Queen?" Sun was genuinely surprised to hear her voice, for how stern and cold it was. "How the hell did you manage to get out of Atlas? I thought your father kept you cooped up in there after Vale fell."

"He is NOT my father. At least not in my eyes." Weiss' venomous tone almost seeped through the phone and choked Sun directly. "Besides, right now, we have a maiden to get to." Hearing that, Sun quieted down, thinking. He, like the other citizens, was kept in the dark as to how the church even managed to find the spring maiden, or who she even was.

"The maiden you say..." Yang didn't mention this to him before. "And what would you want with the maiden."

This time, Ruby took the scroll. "We want to get her out of there, and take her with us to New Vale, where we can properly protect her. Right now, she is in grave danger."

"I see." Sun already heard that the summer maiden died about two weeks ago. Add that to the fall maiden, which was Cinder, and they were running out of maidens at a staggering rate. "Wait, what about the winter maiden? Isn't she in danger too?" He asked, and the silence coming from the other side of the line made it quite clear as to her fate.

"No..." He whispered, as the realization hit him. "But who is even doing this?! Can't we just find that person and-"

"Trust me, you can't. I'm not even sure any of us can even harm them now." Yang answered. Sun may be a trusted friend, but they couldn't tell him the true identity of Raven, or her connection to Salem, let alone Salem's existence at all. Qrow told them to let as few people as possible to know about this, and to that end, Yang tried to give him as little details as possible.

"Seriously? Is the situation that bad?" Sun asked with desperation in his voice. "Well, if that's the case, I guess I can pull some strings to try and help you out. You remember where my team's little base is?"

"I don't think so... I was really dark when we got there." Blake spoke. The last time they were in Mistral, Sun and his team gave them a place to stay for a while, but she couldn't quite piece together its exact location.

"Well, no matter. I'll send Neptune to pick you up. Just text me your address."

"Got it." Yang hung up, and sent him the proper location of the hotel.

 _'Fine. Wait for Neptune outside. We'll meet at out warehouse as soon as you get here.'_ Was his quick and simple response. They went to the entrance of the hotel, looking towards the streets, and after no more than a few minutes, the blue haired young man strolled in their direction, looking as nonchalant as ever, drawing as little attention as possible. The moment they noticed him, the group split, using various routes and methods to follow him through Mistral, finally reaching the industrial district of the kingdom, as the fancy looking buildings were replaced with warehouses and cargo containers.

"Good. Looks like we're scott-free." Neptune finally spoke up, as they regrouped, heading towards team SSSN's small base of operations. "So! How're you guys?!" He looked around to see the team, as the cheerful faces of the students he used to know were replaced with gentle, yet serious expressions of fully-fledged huntsmen.

"Could be better." Ruby answered, giving a small sigh.

"True that." Nora joined her in sighing. "I just wish this whole thing would end..."

"Well, we'll do what we can to help." Neptune smiled at them, and they reached the HQ, as he pulled his scroll, opening the electronic lock, letting them all in.

Sun's small hangout changed quite drastically since the last time they were there: Foam boards covered with pictures were hung up on all the walls, connecting various people with certain events. At some places, even Ruby and her team seemed to have their faces linked up, especially when concerned with Ironwood's face, now crossed off in various places. Sun himself, hanging upside-down from the ceiling, tampering with one of the boards, noticed their presence, and jumped down, to greet the group.

"You made it! Great!" He dashed on, and went to one of his drawers, pulling some papers out of them looking for something. From looking at his aura, the aura being calmer for Yang to allow her vision to expand, she could see his, Neptune's, Scarlet's, and Sage's aura, all of which hung around the room, also looking for something, were all quite tense, though not in a bad way. They all seemed to be quite alive, their auras brimming with curiosity.

"So... Quite the operation you got here..." Yang remarked. "How long have you been doing this anyway?"

"Since you guys left to Atlas and Vale at the time." Sun answered her in between piles of maps and papers.

"Found it!" Scarlet called, and the group gathered, to see an old-looking sketch of the cathedral in his hand, printed on some brand new paper.

"And this is?..." Ruby questioned.

"Well, " Sun started with obvious enthusiasm in his voice. "After the church was built a few centuries ago, most of the architects that designed the structure were rumors to have disappeared, along with the original plans for the temple."

"But this looks like-" Jaune came to ask but Sun cut him mid-sentence.

"But you see! About twenty years ago, a person claiming descent to one of the head architects rose up, and in order to prove his integrity, released a photo of what he claims are the blueprints of the church's cathedral!" He exclaimed. "Of course, there is no knowing if he was right or not, and as one would expect at this point, he went missing shortly after coming out to the public, the original plans gone too, which would hint there was some truth to him. However, an old photo remained, taken by a close friend of the man, which managed to avoid the church's inquisitors. Now, it circles online, though you have to know exactly where to look for it." He finished his history lesson, and handed the group the photos, letting them take a peek at the infrastructure of their target.

"But how do you propose we do this?" Ren looked at the photographs, not seeing anything out of the ordinary that would allow them access to the church's inside halls.

"See this?" Sun pointed to what looked like a darkened line near the backside of the walls. "Rumor has it this is a tunnel, dug from the higher parts of the church all the way out. No one has any idea for what purpose, though."

"Another mystery we intend to solve, eventually." Sage added. "But for now, if you can find it, it might prove quite helpful."

"Yeah, I'm sure all of us would be able to clear this out together." Nora called out happily.

"Oh..." Sun's aura slowed down. "You thought we were coming with you? Sorry, but we can't. We already have enough people out there who seem to be on our tail." Nora was the only one who giggled. "And we just can't snoop around like that in broad daylight. If you want, you can contact us and we might be able to help out, but for now, you're on your own."

"Too bad, then." Jaune sighed. "How do we even get there without the streets swarming with people?"

"I think I might have an idea..." Ruby thought out loud, as the group sat together, planning out the details of their next mission.

* * *

The plan was quite simple: Causing a distraction on the streets, the group would draw the attention of the crowds of people away from the backside of the church, giving the two teams enough time to investigate and find this entrance tunnel, hopefully. By now, they already returned to the plaza of the church, the sun shining brightly above their heads, as they got into position, preparing for the signal from Blake, who used her clones to surround the area to give them a wider field of view. After a few moments, when the numbers of the guards seemed to have lowered down for them enough, Blake's small network gave her the go-signal, and she passed it along to Ruby, who was standing on top one of the buildings. The moment Blake waved her fingers to Ruby, she retracted her cloak, and diverted her aura to her eyes, sending a pulse of white light to the sky, while at the same time using her semblance to dash out of there as fast as she could, leaving no trace of herself behind.

"Look! The angel!" Some of the people around them called out, as the mobs of people came towards the light's location, where they thought the angel stood, waiting for them. Even the guards, though having much deadlier looks on their faces, went along, wanting to see the nerve the angel had showing her face in Mistral. While the people themselves saw her as an angel, the main church and most of its more faithful believers saw her as an angel of war and death if anything else, especially now that they had the spring maiden within their reach.

"Okay! It's time!" The group scoured the back wall, now uninterrupted from the populace, for whatever little time Ruby's stunt gave them. After searching for a minute and not finding anything, Yang came up with an idea.

"Stand back." She went forward, pulling the bandage from the Dust Celica's palm, attaching it to the wall, and concentrating of the dust. She could feel Dust in the earth below her. She even managed to draw it out to her. And seeing as the cathedral was built a long time ago, using old fashioned bricks, it was only fair to assume that there would be some dust fragments in the walls, though just barely. It took her a bit of time, but eventually, Yang managed to locate traces to dust within the bricks, drawing out a mental man of the wall before them. There wasn't nearly enough in there for her to draw any amount of dust capable of giving her any elemental power, but at least she was able to see it. Suddenly, after a full minute of doing this, she noticed an area completely devoid of dust, and opened her eyes, pointing towards it.

"There!" She called, and the group went to the group of bricks, trying to move them, and to their surprise, the bricks slid away, revealing a tunnel going all the way up, seemingly large enough for a single man to fit into in width. Inside, they could see a trail of loose bricks, leading all the way up, probably becoming unhinged with age.

"So, who stays behind?" Ruby looked at the two teams.

"We'll stay. If there's anything truly dangerous there, you guys should be able to take care of it. Besides, bringing Nora along on a stealth mission is not a good plan, and I won't just leave her here behind."

"Aww" Nora sighed, "thank you Jaune."

"So you guys are on watch duty." Ruby decided. "Anything happens, you text us right away."

"Got it. Good luck." Jaune said as the group silenced their scrolls, putting them on the gentlest vibration setting they had, and team RWBY snuck through the hole in the wall, beginning their ascent upwards one of the cathedral's towers. The air became damp and the smell of rotting meat filled out the air, as the team tried not to choke on the stench. Here and there, small hatches branched off into the halls of the church's headquarters, but at each point of entrance, several priests and other members of the church resided, leaving RWBY with little choice but to continue going upwards, heading to the very top. All the while, the stench started to subside, as it appeared that it originated at the bottom of the tunnel.

 _God, what the hell even MAKES this kind of smell?_ Ruby thought to herself, going up and up.

"Whatever it is, I'm just glad we got far away from it enough to stop smelling it." Yang whispered, as though seeing through her. Soon, the reached the very top, where the last, and most fancy looking hatch resided. From the outside, they could head the man, one old and one young, having what they could only assume was a heated argument.

"...And as the one who found her within our ranks, I deserve to be bumped up to saint!" The younger voice called.

"And I told you. I am more than willing to bestow the saint title upon you, if you have the coin for it..." The old voice responded coyly.

"Why, You!... I won't have any of this. The whole reason she's cooped in here is for you to exploit her for your own sake, isn't it?!"

"You act as though this wasn't your intention as well, young man." The old man answered sternly. "One might be called many things in my church, but a liar is not one of them."

"Please! Spare me the charade you show the crowd outside!" The young voice became angrier and angrier. "The only way to advance here in any way is to lie your way to the top!"

"It only goes to show how little you understand the way the church functions..." The old voice quieted down, when all of a sudden, the sound of steel clashing filled the air. Ruby, being the one on top of the group, peered with her head through the hatch, only to see the two males, the old one dressed in what looked like very old, yet fancy garments, wielding a large looking rapier, flashing with several colors of dust. The young one, having more simplistic clothes, jumped around the room, having a sword of his own, as the two men clashed, apparently in a struggle for dominance.

"So THIS is how you want to play, huh BOY!?" The old man called out and swung his blade, his body moving with agility Ruby did not expect from such an old looking frame. It was quite strange, seeing two members of the church war amongst themselves, though in her mind, the mentions of the spring maiden earlier were the most concerning matter.

By now, it was clear the older man was leading the whole fight, as the younger between the two seemed to be absolutely shocked his superior was so strong compared to his age.

"I'm done with you!" The old man called, and his sword flashed with aura, becoming black. He disappeared, and all of a sudden, the young priest stopped in place, as the old man's rapier was wedged firmly in his chest. His aura. in a desperate attempt to heal the damages, converged towards the wound, but the old one simply twisted the blade, felling his opponent, and the young one dropped to the floor, dead.

"And THIS is why they call me minarch." The leader of the church commented, and started to drag the body towards the hatch team RWBY was hiding in, Ruby immediately lowering her head. From what they knew, the minarch was the very head of religion in Mistral. Almost no one even knew how choosing a new minarch happened, as the title passed through many men through history, both young and old. The only consistency was that the new minarch was 'chosen' the very day the last one died.

Ruby looked down at her friends. Any moment now, the minarch was going to open the hatch, apparently built there to dispose of dead bodies, and throw his latest rival in there, never to be seen again. However, this time, a group of four huntresses lurked in the tunnel, and if they didn't do anything, they were going to get caught. They didn't even have enough space to whisper to each other, and exchanged worried glances at each other, seemingly being trapped. They couldn't even go back down, as the body would hit them, making a noise.

All they had now was to wait, as their inevitable uncovering inched closer as closer to them.


	60. The Descent to The Sanctum

The group waited silently as the minarch of Mistral's church dragged the lifeless corpse of his would-be usurper into the small hatch at the corner of his office, through which it appeared he disposed of many other bodies before, considering the stench of rotting meat that came from the bottom.

Team RWBY looked at each other, considering what to do. If they climbed down, the only thing waiting for them in them in the other entrances of the shoot they were in was more guards and more heavily trained priests to fight, while at the stood the religious leader of the world, still holding his sword in his free hand, examining it for any blood marks. Soon, they had no other choice, as he stood right next to the hatch, coming to open it.

 _Well, here goes nothing._ Ruby thought to herself as she started to channel aura towards her silver eyes. Yang, seeing the acceleration of her aura's movement, quickly picked up on her gambit, tugging Blake's thigh, as if to hint at her to be prepared. Weiss, who was closest to her, already noticed the glow beginning to form and conjured several glyphs beneath herself and the rest of her teammates, waiting for the perfect moment.

"What the blazes?" The minarch questioned as he noticed white light starting to emanate from his body hatch. All of a sudden, the metal door snapped out of its hinges, launching a red bolt all throughout his study, bouncing coming directly at his face. The minarch, was still being surprised, still held his ground, and in an instant, pulled her rapier, the blade glowing dark again, as his body, fueled by his semblance, vanished into thin air, his blade directing itself right into Ruby's heart. Before he could hit her, though, a black flesh came out of nowhere, a faunus girl blocking his blade and pushing him away.

"W-WHO ARE YOU ALL?!" He screamed, and readied another attack. This time, a white-haired, yet grim-faced young woman came out, followed by another copy of the faunus and a tall, intimidating looking girl, her right arm covered in bandages. "HOW DARE YOU SNEAK INTO MY CHURCH! DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO I-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, the white one charged at him, swinging a light covered sword, as her entire body became clad in ethereal looking armor. The minarch, his confusion, and anger only deepening, dodged her attack with his surprising agility and speed, gunning for the red one's heart once more.

"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER!" The white one called out, her voice clearly filled with nothing more than pure rage, as she dashed at him, generating a glyph to match his speed.

"So, A Schnee, huh?!" He called out.

Weiss stopped in her tracks, her face stopping in cold, silent fury, and manifested her dilation glyph. She started to move again, and this time, he found himself having much harder time keeping up with her, as for him it only seemed like her movements only became faster.

"Come on!" The yellow one cried, flexing her right arm, revealing the dust beneath. She came to punch him, and the minarch jumped away, standing at the edge of the room.

"You..." He stared at her, raising his finger, as he shook in fear of the Dustmaster. "Do you have any idea what have you done to yourself?!"

Yang sighed and rolled her eyes. She didn't expect him understand or even take this nonchalantly, and she wasn't going to explain to him about her entire life's journey. Though, when looking at his aura, while she could obviously spot fear in his eyes, she wasn't even sure what he was afraid OF. It was the easy answer to just say she was just terrified by her appearance, and yet, the more Yang looked, the more she noticed that perhaps there was something else out there.

"What's really scaring you here?" She asked without thinking. By now, the fight momentarily stopped, giving all of them a moment's peace. "You don't seem to be afraid of ME. Something else is on your mind."

"It's worse than I thought, then." The minarch regained his stature and glared at her. "You're an ancient abomination, and I cannot let you leave this place alive!"

"Ancient?" Yang remembered Cinder's words, right before she died. Like him, she called her ancient too, and this time, Yang was going to find out why. She dashed at the old man, taking him by surprise, and shoved him against the wall. "Tell me. What is up with this whole ancient deal?"

"I am shocked you didn't know." He answered with a gruff. "In the divine scriptures of God, men who became one with dust were considered pariahs, destined to be forever marked for their own foolishness, as they bring nothing but pain and destruction in their wake."

"You're wrong!" Blake called out. "Yang never did such a thing! So far, the only thing she did was help us all!"

"And what makes such a low creature think she has the right to address the minarch of- UGH!" Yang pressed the Dust Celica harder against his throat, her hair, as well as her golden eyes, began to glow brightly as her body began to heat up.

"You talk about her like this again, and I WILL end you." She said with serenity hiding the murderous intent.

"Y-Yo-ou sssee..." The old minarch mumbled between whizzes. "N-Nothing b-b-but dest-truction..." Yang held her hand back a little, giving him some air. The minarch, still glaring into her eyes, secretly produced another, smaller blade from his sleeve, that like his rapier, started to glow dark.

"Yang look out!" Blake called again.

Yang looked, as the minarch vanished from her grip, appearing right behind her, coming to impale her heart. Yang, in retaliation, morphed the Dust Celica, extending the back side of it, until a small blade of dust extruded out of her hand, blocking the knife. The old man jumped away, grabbing his actual sword on the way, and turned to the rest of the group, as the fight continued. This time, though, he aimed for Blake, trying to stab her, as one of her clones, referring to protect her instead, of attacking, pushed Blake out of the way, taking the hit instead, as two more clones, again on their own volition, dashed against him, pushing him back. The minarch staggered, and Ruby dashed at him, activating her silver eyes, as her speed increased, making her a blinding stream of red and rose petals. She shoved him to the other side of the room, and he crashed against the wall, finally defeated, and unconscious.

"Great," Yang commented. "NOW what do we do?"

It would not take long for them to be spotted, and considering they just beat the world's largest religious leader, things were not looking up for Ruby and her team. The moment they would leave, they would most likely be noticed, and fighting was sure to follow in their wake, as they dashed to the inner sanctum of the cathedral. This, of course, meant they had to go all the way to the bottom floor, meaning they had to run through the entire towers they were in first.

"Well, here we go. Remember, try not to kill anyone." Ruby noted for her team, and they opened the door gently, looking outside, only to see a bunch of stairs, leading down. The followed the path, ending on the next floor, which was, unlike the study from before, much more renovated and regal-looking. The walls had various paintings and works of art hanging on them, and all over the place, many people either sat or stood, talking and laughing with each other, while in the corners of the rooms, stood armored guards, wielding what looked like dust-enhanced blades and other types of weapons.

"Hey! You there!" Suddenly, one of the guards called out, and the rest of the higher castes of the church were hurried out, as the rest of the guards approached team RWBY, brandishing their weapons with confidence. Weiss grinned, conjuring her own armor as well, while spinning Myrtenaster, landing on a bright blue crystal. She swung her blade, sending several bolts of frost and ice at her enemies, partially freezing some of them in place, while more guards, wielding several interchangeable weapons, came out of the doors, shooting at the main crew. Ruby snapped away, vanishing into rose petals, and quickly took care of all of them, knocking each of them down with a blow from Crescent Rose while the rest of her team stood in there, barely even to react as fast as she did. After the guards finally stopped coming at them, and the fight, for now at least was over, Yang looked around, only to see that the auras that ran away earlier seemed to have mad contact with the forces below, warning them about team RWBY.

"Well, guys, seems they are aware of us her now. All the floors." Yang shared her new information with the rest of the group.

"So it looked like we have no other choice but to fight all the way through." Ruby decided. Even if all they wanted to do was get out of the tower as soon as they could and run away, they would still have to face off against almost all the capable fighters in there now.

The ran to the next door down, taking the stairs, ending up on a similar floor to the last one. There, unlike last time, the floor was almost completely covered by serious looking priests and guards, each carrying their own weapon. All of a sudden, a barrage of shots filled the air, coming at team RWBY, when Weiss created a glyph, shielding herself and her team from it. The barrage continued, forcing Weiss to keep it up.

"Any ideas?" She asked the rest of her team. Sure, she could keep this up for quite a while, but even she had to rest eventually, and right now it seemed like those guys were not going to run out of bullets anytime soon.

After looking at the situation for a bit, Yang stepped up. "Yeah. Just get ready to drop the shield the moment I tell you, got it?"

Weiss nodded, and Yang pulled out a purple crystal, swiping it on the Dust Celica, giving it a purple strand. Unlike the other types of crystal she embedded into her arm, gravity crystal always felt weird, as though her arm was literally getting heavier and bulkier. Yang raised her arm, as Blake and Ruby prepared, and Weiss, figuring out her plan, waited for her signal.

"NOW!" Yang called, and Weiss dropped the shield, as all the bullets were pulled directly into the Dust Celica, the crystal arm absorbing the small portions of dust in the bullets and negating them. Ruby and Blake, seeing as the coast was clear for now, jumped out, dashing into the crowd, weapons drawn, as the fight turned from attrition to direct combat. Swords were swung, and spears were jabbed, but Ruby's speed and Blake's clones allowed the two to escape death, again and again. Meanwhile, Yang, with the Dust Celica brimming with red dust, struggled to maintain all the energy the red dust gave her.

"Step back everyone!" She shouted again, raising the Dust Celica once more, this time with several, huge red strands on it. She began to conjure a fireball, only to end up creating a huge sphere of pure flames in her hands. "YAAAAA!" Yang lifted her hand, as the red strands were converted and channeled into the miniature sun she developed in her hand, and she pounded the floor, sending a shockwave nothing more than pure fire at the host of priests blocking their path. The host was blown away, some running from all the fire and some getting seriously churned, until Yang finally managed to stop. She tried her best to make sure she didn't kill anyone, but she still managed to hurt some of them severely, and so, she went over to those most hurt, and at least healed their more serious injuries, just putting them above death's reach.

From there, the group dashed down, taking out each member of the church that, as it seemed, wasn't even attempting to arrest them, going straight for the kill. Floor by floor, the team descended towards the inner sanctum, until the streets of Mistral became more and more detailed below them. Eventually, they finally managed to reach the first floor, this time from within of the cathedral, and looked around, searching for another entrance into the inner sanctum.

"You know, I'm surprised they didn't call the police or something." Yang finally noticed that. She took a quick glance outside, not wanting to get swayed away by the devotion of the masses with her aura-sensing, and to her surprise, indeed, not a single blockade was in sight.

"The church of Mistral is filled with pride," Blake explained, having recalled a bit of her online research. "They would rather use their own power to deal with problems rather than have to rely on outside forces." She deduced.

"For how much the church holds power here, I'm just glad that they are not directly in control of the council." Ruby added. True, while the church was not in direct control of the kingdom, they might as well be, seeing as they had more than a few people outside with considerable positions of both political and financial power.

"I think I found it." Weiss pointed to the rest of the group. after finding the door the team figured lead to the public hall of the church, the team circled it, as though tracing the room from the outside, until finally, reaching a wall holding their path, with a small, black door next to the intersection between the walls.

"This is it, then." Ruby opened up the door, and the team finally entered the inner sanctum of the church.

* * *

The inner sanctum itself looked nothing like the bright, colorful halls and floors of the church outside. The walls were covered in black marble, as well as the floor, and one could tell great attention was put into each small detail on the walls. Though there weren't any images drawn on the wall, describing holy acts of god, the whole thing still looked quite impressive. So far, the sanctum was nothing more than a simple corridor, stretching forth, with not a single in there to fight. Nonetheless, team RWBY stepped forth carefully, looking for any semblance of a hidden trap or something. After a few minutes or so of walking, the group reached the end of the hall which they assumed was very near the very center of the church itself, with a large, square room before them, ending with another door, which seemed to have a bit of sunshine seep through it. Before the door, a hooded figure stood, clad in very heavy armor with religious motifs, apparently keeping watch for whatever there was inside.

"..." The being, masculine in appearance, didn't even turn around to the sound of footsteps that came from behind him.

Ruby pulled her scythe, and pointed it at the man. "Move." She commanded in one, simple word.

"..." The being still stood there, not budging.

"Fine." Ruby dashed at him, intending to knock the man out, when all of a sudden, he turned around, blocking her attack with a mace, through which he channeled dust, creating a small explosion at the tip, forcing Ruby to jump away. The hood of the man blew away from his head from the backlash, and his face was revealed to the group, much to their surprise.

"Cardin?!" Blake called in shock, as the former leader of the bully team CRDL stood before them, alone, in church garments, wielding what seemed like an upgraded version of his former weapon. This mace, unlike the simple one he used to have, rotated on the same principle as Myrtenaster, having several, large dust crystals at the tip.

"So, you decide to disturb her holiness." Cardin finally spoke, his voice completely devoid of compassion. "Sorry, bitches, but I just can't let you do that. I worked my way through this hierarchy too hard to let some would be huntresses ruin my ascent to the top."

"Too bad." Weiss charged, bouncing around the room with several glyphs, until Cardin slammed the ground with his mace, covering the entire area with ice. Weiss changed tactics in the blink of an eye, and summoned her armor, coupled with a red crystal, as she broke through the ice with her fire- imbued blade and armor, giving her protection from the frost.

Cardin didn't seem fazed by her assault, and went on, using his own strength to swing his mace heavily at the white knight, trying to keep her at bay. When Vale fell, he and his team were sent to Mistral to continue their studies there, but Cardin, never being the wise one, failed his classes, and after a very 'unfortunate' incident with a faunus student, he was expelled from the Academy, left to roam the streets. The church took him in, and seeing as he had nothing left to lose, he entered their ranks, slowly advancing through the hierarchy of the organization with his sheer tenacity and ruthlessness. This one duty, to protect the spring maiden, was the one thing he needed in order to finally get some serious connections, with none other than the holy maiden herself, which would help him rise even further. And now, he had the collective team RWBY, there to foil his ambitions, and he was not going to let them off this easily.

"So, where's that Jauney-boy?!" He started to talk to Weiss, as Ruby joined in, and Cardin switched to white crystal, and filled with wind, his mace became faster, to adjust to the new combatant. "Is he still a coward not capable of doing anything?!"

"He did more than you." Yang came up, and Cardin, a little astonished by the Dust Celica, kept on regardless. He has seen some majorly fucked up stuff happen in this church. A girl with dust for an arm was by far more sensible.

"He's still nothing more than a loser." Cardin remarked, and shifted stance, his body tightening. Ruby came to strike him, and Cardin took the attack head on, nothing happening to him.

"Guys, be careful." Yang warned them. "Pretty sure that was his semblance just now. His aura hardened itself all around his body."

"Oh? You can see that now?" Cardin asked mockingly. "Well, it won't help. My semblance gave the title of 'the invincible' here! No one can harm me!" He called out, his hubris getting out of control.

"We'll just have to see about that." Yang stepped forth, slamming the Dust Celica against her other hand, summoning the Blaze Celica, and morphing both into claws. She charged at Cardin, and he came to block her, only to see she didn't even aim for him at all. In fact, Yang threw her punched directly at his aura, hitting in with all of her might. Cardin staggered back, hurt from her gambit, and gave her a furious gaze.

"What?! How?!" He called out in anger. Yang, applying the same principle she did with Penny, attacked on, using the Dust and Blaze Celicas to strike Cardin's aura, destabilizing his semblance, until eventually, she managed to break through it, leaving him defenseless. Cardin, in retaliation, swung his mace just as Yang came for another punch, managing to hit her head, and blowing her away.

"Yang! NO!" Blake called out, and surrounded Cardin on all directions. In groups, her clones came at him, overwhelming his strength with sheer numbers, giving Cardin much, much more than he could chew. While he did kill a few of the clones, their coordination was uncanny for mere copies of her aura, as each of them thought on her own and worked together.

* * *

The spring maiden was sitting in a small clearing, in the middle of the church, listening to the birds chirped around her. Ever since she gained the powers of the maiden from her mother, she decided to dedicate her life for the healing of others, and joined the church, using her mastery over wind and healing to help the sick and wounded. Hers was a quiet, yet fulfilling life, and she regretted nothing. Alas, the more she used her powers, the more she became sickly herself, as though she took the illnesses of other onto her own body, even though she knew this wasn't the case. Perhaps this was the way of god. A price for each death prevented. Even further, now that she was found to be the spring maiden, her superiors made her into another angel, like the one she heard lead the war between New Vale and Atlas, and she was locked up within the inner sanctum, where they would bring the diseased for her to heal. Unfortunately for her, she never saw the true faces of the priests around her, using her simple praises and greeting as justification for some promotion with the church's circles, based on ancient scriptures no one really cared to study and understand anymore.

So far, her day was going as usual. Her assigned guardian, Cardin Winchester, stood outside the gate keeping her from the outside world, only letting those who the church considered pure enough to deserve her healing touch in, where she promptly renewed their life, as the cost of hers. Soon, merely using her power for parlor tricks became taxing, and in the end, she lost the use of her legs, though not from injury, but pure illness of her own. The church did what it could, bringing many doctors to see her, but alas, none could tell what was wrong with her. Eventually, the church covered her impending demise up with lies, preferring to keep up appearances. She heard the clashes of steel outside, and her eyebrow twitched in surprise, as she couldn't tell what would cause her guardian, to which he showed nothing more than kindness and smiles, to have to fight within the sanctum. As the fight went on, she heard another voice, as a crimson tear in space formed near her, a red-clad figure with a grimm mask stepping forth.

"O-Oh. Hello..." She greeted her guest faintly. "D-Did you come here to be healed too?"

The figure, not saying anything, simply stood before her, raising her hand, as a black insect with a grimm mask came out of her hand.

"..." The spring maiden looked in horror, and yet, her voice did not scream. With time, she came to accept the bad fortune of her life as the decisions of god for her, and it would seem that now, at last, she was granted her eternal rest, to join the choirs of angels above in the heavens.

* * *

Finally, Cardin was unable to keep up with Blake, coupled with Ruby and Weiss, and he stumbled back, leaning against the wall, giving them a fierce look.

"Y-You idiots..." He mumbled. "You won't get away with this!..."

"We won't run either." Blake came up to him. "We'll stand our ground, no matter what."

"And what makes you, an inferior faunus, think you can do anything?!" Cardin was always known to be a bit racist here and there, but under the church's influence, his hatred towards the faunus, and other people for that matter, only intensified. Blake, without saying a word, pulled Wilt, and dropped it towards his head, finally having enough of this uncalled for hate, only coupled with the bashing he gave her lover.

"Blake STOP!" Yang called out, regaining her senses. Blake, at the last second, held her blade, giving Cardin a grim look. True, in her eyes, humanity deserved just as much as protection as the faunus, but in today's Remnant, faunus were still the ones suffering from discrimination. In New Vale, the White Fang became a more respectable force, fighting along with the huntsmen to keep their kingdom safe, and even in the branches of the other kingdoms, White Fang activists changed their ways, opting for more peaceful methods of achieving equality. Alas, unlike New Vale, Vacuo and Mistral, with Mistral in particular, did not have to go through war, and there, treatment of the faunus did not change much yet, though there were some improvements. She simply sheathed Wilt into Blush, took out the sheath, and knocked Cardin out with a single blow to the head, making sure it wasn't fatal.

"No.. NOO!" They suddenly heard Ruby call, staring at what laid before them beyond the final door, as the rest of the group approached the scene, only to be filled with shock and despair.

On the ground, where grass grew and the sun shone from above, directly in the middle of the cathedral, laid a single, dead young women, wearing a floral crown. On her face, an expression of relief was visible, as though she welcomed the sweet embrace of death.

The final and fourth maiden was dead.

They were too late.


	61. Last Farewells

"This is a disaster!" Glynda paced around in her office over and over, as teams RWBY and JNPR returned to Vale, to report to her directly. The moment the spring maiden died, Ruby decided that staying in Mistral and facing the wrath of the entire church would be incredibly stupid considering their situation, and thus, nearly a few seconds after witnessing her corpse, RWBY made a mad dash through the inner sanctum, informing JNPR about the situation, telling them to scatter and leave the area as fast as they could. The team burst through to the main hall, making their way to the exit, and from there, they all dashed directly to the airship dock, asking Sun and his team to sneak into the hotel and pick up their stuff, which they ended up leaving behind, and they boarded the first ship headed to New Vale, before the minarch would wake up from his knockout and warrant an arrest on them. True, for the time being, they couldn't go to Mistral until the matter was sorted out, but right now, they had more pressing matters on their hands: Salem had all the maiden's powers in her reach, and with the rise in grimm strength in variance, it became apparent that if nothing was done soon, humanity's and the faunus' fates would be sealed.

"So what do we do?!" Qrow called out as well. "We can't just wait here to be slaughtered! Ozpin never even mentioned something like THIS happening!"

"Ozpin is gone!" Winter said from behind a screen, all the way from Atlas. "I have no idea how much the man knew, and right now, we can't afford to care!"

"Don't say that! Ozpin was wiser than all of us combined! If he was here, he'd already come up with a plan of attack!" Qrow argued with her.

"True, but Winter is right." Oobleck added. "We don't have the luxury of relying on others at the moment. The other kingdoms are up to their necks in grimm, and so far, we are the only ones with the knowledge and the ability to react in time."

"Forget about the military." Winter objected "Atlas is still recuperating from the war, and we only have enough resources to fend off the grimm around our kingdom. I assume the same applies to the Vacuo, Mistral, and New Vale for that matter."

Glynda wanted to reply but held her tongue. Winter was right, and ever since the maidens started dying, no, ever since the moon broke apart, the grimm only became more and more ferocious and monstrous, mutating and morphing before the huntsmen's eyes, with only increased strength and vitality. So far, this eldritchan grimm, while not being the only type of grimm out there, started to show up bigger packs and numbers, claiming more lives with each rush they pressed against the kingdoms.

"So we're stuck between the rock and the hard place..." Qrow sighed. "Great. Just what we FUCKING needed!" He slammed his hand against the metal table, making a very audible sound on the way.

So far, Ruby and her team, along with JNPR, sat in silence, listening to the four argue. After reporting to Glynda, the last thirty minutes were just them, shouting at each other, with Qrow throwing profanities left and right, while Oobleck, trying to be the only voice of reason, was by far the most collected one, trying to come up with some sort of plan of action. Ruby turned to see her sister, Yang, stare out the window worried and decided to ask her what was wrong.

"Yang? Do you see anything?" Ruby finally spoke after hearing the council argue over and over.

Yang didn't answer, only keeping to look outside. Raven's faux aura was gone, vanished from the face of the earth, and Yang, still having some faint desire to save her mother from Salem's hands, kept on searching for something in the endless sea of black that surrounded the auras of Remnant. But no matter how hard she looked, her golden eyes could only see the auras of Remnant, differentiated from each other by the black void and darkness outside, apart from being able to see the physical world interlaced on top of it.

"You're still looking for her?" Ruby asked, figuring her out.

"She's still out there... I just know it..." Yang mused and went back to her query, trying various level of focus to try and see the faux aura, yet to no avail. Blake, sitting next to her, held Yang's hand, sensing her distress. She didn't look away from the window, but Yang's expression calmed down a bit, and the conversation went on, as the adults tried to figure out what to do.

"This idea will never work, Winter!" Winter yelled at Oobleck. "Even if we had enough resources to build the machinery and equipment to create a small army, we don't have any time! I'm surprised Salem didn't just come here herself directly!"

The mention of Salem caught Ruby's interest. They talked about her, discussing what Salem was about to do to the world, and how they needed to stop her, and yet, for all the bickering, none of them still had no idea what Salem truly WAS. Sure, she sort of led the grimm, but even that was a moot point, seeing as she can only point at something for them, while not really being in control. On top of that, the grimm knight that Salem employed as her hand, which, besides Cinder, was the only intelligent grimm they have encountered so far, was another enigma: It seemed intelligent enough to make its own decisions based not on instinct, but by knowledge, and yet, there it was, acting in her stead.

"I'll go." She silently said all of a sudden, and the council stopped shouting at each other for a brief moment, looking at Ruby.

"What did you say, kid?" Qrow asked, wanting to make sure he heard her correctly.

"I said, I'll go." Ruby repeated herself. "If anyone here can take on this madness, it has to be me."

"You can't!" Glynda called out to her. "You're still a child! I can't just-"

"Am I? Really?" Ruby cut her. "You know, the saddest thing about this whole ordeal, is that sometimes, I don't even feel like a young adult. I feel like most of my life is already over, you know?" She said, gently smiling. "I've seen too much horror and death in the last few weeks. All I want is for it to end, and if I have to go kill Salem alone, so be it." In her mind, Ruby already made her resolve. "Besides, all the kingdoms are too preoccupied with dealing with the grimm, plus the eldritchan grimm that started to show up with them so much, that if you DON'T send someone, it's only going to be a matter of time before we all die."

The council stared at her in silence, not sure what to say to such a young woman who is willing to throw herself at the very center of the evil of the world, just to try and bring them a better day.

"I'll go too." Blake joined her. "Everything else is lost. The people are on their last leg now, and I just can't sit on the sidelines while my friends, both faunus and human" She glanced at Yang for a moment. "perish and shrivel away." In her mind, she felt the various reflections of herself cry out in need. "I will protect them. All of them. Even if it means I won't survive to see the sun again."

"Blake..." Glynda couldn't believe her ears, as the faunus stood up, joining Ruby.

"If Ruby goes, I'll go too."

"Same." Yang got up, staring at the rest. "If Salem has her way, everything will just, stop." She tried to explain herself. "The life that flows through us all, the auras, dancing with each other in such a grand design, all will just, cease." She took a deep sigh. "This world has shown me so, so much, and I WON'T just leave it behind to die." Her golden eyes gleamed for a second. "So yeah, I'll be going too. This world is just too precious for me not to preserve."

Blake didn't say anything, merely giving her a loving look, and grabbing her hand again.

"Besides, I can't just let Rubes and Blakey go on this journey all alone." Yang smirked. "We've all come this far, might as well see it all the way through."

Weiss, keeping her cold stare, took another few seconds to choose the right words, and got up as well.

"For far, I've divided the world into what I see as important, and what I consider to be obsolete." She stated. "And out of all the things I have seen in my life, Ruby, no, MY Ruby, is the most valuable and precious of them all. I love her, and I won't let anything end her" She continued her little speech without a single hint of shame of restraint, making Ruby, who still tried to keep a straight and grave face, blush a bit. "If she was to get hurt fighting something like Salem, and I wasn't there to save her, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." Weiss continued. "And so, if Ruby goes, I will head out to this final battle as well. I still have things I want, things I desire, and I can't have Remnant die out before I accomplish them."

"Oh, Weiss... I love you too..." Ruby turned to her, giving the White knight a gentle smile. Weiss, without saying a word, simply embraced her lover, putting on a genuine smile as well.

"Weiss..." Winter looked at her sister, and how much she has grown in the past two years, through her screen. Hearing Weiss willing to take on such a dangerous task, mostly for the sake of someone else, made her a little proud of her little sister, showing how much she managed to heal emotionally since she severed her ties to their father.

"I won't send you." Glynda argued, followed by Qrow, and Oobleck. "You need to rest, and heal from the battles in Mistral. And even beyond that, I will not accept sending four, lone huntresses all alone to WHEREVER Salem is, just to die by her hands."

"Then we'll go too." Jaune stood up as well. "These are the people that are responsible for Pyrrha's death. I can't just let them do as they please as more and more people vanish, and further suffering is created. If we want a truly equal world, where everyone can have the chance to grow and flourish, we have to get rid of abominations like that first."

"I have to agree." Ren joined in. "In all our years here in Beacon, we have never even heard of things like the grimm knight or the grimm dragon, let alone Cinder. For the sake of the future, we have to survive, so that the generations following could keep themselves safe too."

"Yeah!" Nora jumped. "This is just something we can't look away from! I want to pound that Salem to the floor! She deserves it for what she did to Pyrrha!" Nora made a devilish grin. "I am SO breaking her apart."

"I have to agree." Penny, who, as usual, floated around the room, lowered herself from her fixed sitting position, and stood on her two feet, facing the council. "Originally, I was made as a weapon, meant to protect the world from the evils that lurk in the shadows, but I was able to transcend my programming, and become my own person." She said, and smile a bit. "But I've decided. I've decided, on my OWN volition, to stay and fight. I want to do this because I have too many loved ones here that would be in pain if I didn't do anything."

"..." Glynda didn't say anything, simply looking at the group. At this point, she wasn't even able to state any objections, as the group, each of them grown in his or her own way, stared at her, eyes filled with determination and hope.

"The moon is gone, Glynda." Ruby said. "The maidens are out too. We have no one else to count on, but ourselves."

Glynda stood quietly, thinking about what to say to them next. Deep down, she knew they were right. Each member of team RWBY, on her own merit, became so much stronger than the time they spent as students in Beacon. By now, Ruby pretty much mastered her silver eyes, Yang was able to manipulate dust almost freely, Blake had a literal army of herself at her back and call, and Weiss' armor and blade only improved with time, making her incredibly fast and powerful. Even JNPR, between Penny's upgraded body, and Jaune's semblance, which held the ability to nullify completely anyone standing in their way, was not to be underestimated. Even Nora, with her unbelievable strength, and Ren, the most tactical and wise person between all eight of them, could take on much bigger opponents than before, leaving Glynda quite impressed at how much the kids before her, although not being official huntsmen, still held the very spirit and bravery of ones.

"...Okay." Glynda finally agreed.

"WHAT?!" Both Qrow and Winter called out in objection.

"I won't let you send Ruby to her death!" Qrow shouted. "I don't fucking care how far she's come; she's just not ready for that!"

Glynda looked at him, face unmoving. "Do you remember that Ozpin took her into Beacon, even though she was two years younger than everyone else?"

"Yeah. What of it?" Qrow asked, looking pissed.

"I think he knew. He knew she would be the one that in the end, would rise up to protect this world." Glynda concluded.

"Then what was the whole deal with that Pyrrha girl?! Why didn't he just call Ruby to be the fall maiden?!"

"I... Honestly don't know." Glynda couldn't think of a good reason, and yet, for what it was worth, she still believed in Ruby's strength. "Still, look at them. They want to go, and I don't think any of the four of us can actually do anything to stop them."

Qrow looked, and indeed, the Ruby that stood before him was nothing like the hyperactive kid she used to be: She was battle-hardened, filled with resolve, and as realistic as they come. Her kindness and love for the world were still there, but in the end, they were buried deep beneath the grim duty she had to uphold.

"You're really going to go, no matter what, huh?..." Qrow sighed deeply, while putting her palm on his head, shaking it.

"Yes." Ruby replied in one, short word. It was all she need to drive her point.

"Well, if you really want to go, we have to first figure out where the hell Salem even IS." Qrow continued the conversation, somehow finding himself agreeing to her insane plan, but just barely.

"Wait, I thought you saw some of the stuff she had in store." Ruby asked him. "You don't know where Salem is?"

"No, unfortunately." Qrow waved his head. "I've never even seen Salem in person. The only traces of her I managed to find were what I can only describe as black pools, infested and spawning grimm en masse." Qrow explained. "Actually going up against such spawning grounds would have been suicide. Besides, the same way they showed up, they vanished into thin air. It seemed that she moves them through Remnant all the time, slightly directing the spawning of the grimm."

"Then we have to find a way to get to her." Ruby concluded, and her gaze unconsciously directed itself at Yang's direction, until she, and the rest of the room with her, looked at the Dustmaster, who was still glued to the window, completely unaware of their stares.

"...What?" She suddenly spoke up. "I can feel your gazes you know, literally." She closed her eyes for a second, and turned her head to face the rest. "Look, I just can't! I can only sense auras, and so far, even mom's faux aura isn't showing up! I just don't know what to do..."

"Don't worry Yang. I'm sure we'll be able to figure something out." Blake tried to reassure her. "Since when do you let something that small hold you down? You already overcame your arm being cut off. You'll defiantly be able to find her."

Yang, returning to her serene look, smiled at the group. "Well, then we have no time to lose." She stepped out into the elevator, and went downstairs, heading to her favorite arch of Beacon, where she could meditate in peace. Once she reached and climbed the arch, reaching her own small sanctuary, Yang closed her physical eyes, opening her mind as wide as she could, as they entirety of Remnant, this time on all of its splendor, uninterrupted by her mother or anything else, and peered through the world. She let her earthly tether vanish further and further, and in the end, the whole world, on all of its auras, became clear in her spiritual vision.

This time, unlike previous meditations she did in order to search for something, Yang decided to try something different. Instead of looking at the auras, and trying to find something like them, Yang instead turned her attention to the void in between, and sought to recognize any sort of pattern in there, for as impossible as it was.

 _Come on... She has to be out there somewhere..._ Yang thought to herself and redoubled her efforts. Little by little, her vision became more and more sensitive, so much so that Yang was able to see each aura individually, as even the smallest, most delicate flame of life shone in its own in her eyes. And yet, no traces of darkness were found, but she did notice something else.

 _Wait a minute..._ Yang thought again, and reobserved the world before her. Even on continents where there were no kingdoms, human and faunus villages and encampments still existed here and there, and now, she could clearly see their aura, lighting almost all of Remnant up. But this was the case: Almost. Yang didn't know much about geography, but if there was one thing she did know, it was that there was another continent above and between Vacuo and New Vale. She was sure of that fact one hundred percent, and yet, not a single, solitary soul showed up there, leaving the entire area black and devoid of color. She looked into that area even further, looking as deep as she could, trying to find even the faintest glimpse of a soul in there, but alas, nothing. This could only mean one of two things: Either Raven was there, blocking the continent from her vision, or there was, in fact, not a living soul in there entirely. Nonetheless, Yang already made up her mind, and jumped back down, heading back to Glynda's office.

* * *

Yang, having called everyone back to the office for another meeting, gathered everyone around her, as she put her scroll on Glynda's desk, and a holographic man of Remnant appeared in front of the group, hovering above the center of the room.

"You find something?" Qrow asked her curious.

"Well, I still can't sense Salem or Raven explicitly, but this is the best shot I've got." Yang pointed her finger at the dragon-shaped continent, just above Vacuo. "I've done my meditation, and tried to reach out to every single soul on Remnant. From what I gathered, even on kingdomless continents, there are still some people, right?" She turned to the rest of the group, each nodding in agreement.

"Well, everywhere, except here." She pushed a button her scroll, dismissing the rest of Remnant, leaving only the continent in question before them. "On this one, there is not a single soul."

"Hmm..." Glynda looked at Yang's findings. This continent, its name lost to time, was an enigma in many people's eyes. Rumors had it that there were, indeed, no people left there, and unfortunately, aircrafts that go there die out and crash. Airships that fly around the area are directed never to fly above the ground there, as the place is swarming with aerial grimm, and not a single airship was known to survive.

"And you really think that's where Salem is?" Oobleck asked her, gauging her belief in her discovery.

"Yes." Yang replied. "If Salem is as hating of humanity as you claim, then this would be the ideal place for her to dwell in. No humans or faunus, high grimm activity, I'm sure of it." Yang concluded.

"But how are you going to get there? Airships are known to crash when even passing through the air there." Glynda wondered.

"Then we'll go by boat." Ruby decided. "We'll prepare one here, and the moment we are ready, we'll head out directly there."

"...I'll pull some strings." Glynda finally said. "But you still need to find someone who can pilot it. I don't assume any of you have a boat driving license."

"Umm..." Penny spoke up this time. "I should be able to pilot a ship. I'll just need a few days with my father, so that he can program the proper protocols into my database, and I should be good to go."

"Well, make it as fast as you can." Ruby told her. "We can't afford to lose a second."

"Right!" Ruby cheerfully glided out of the office, opening one of the windows, headed to her father's new lab in New Vale. In the end, he decided to move there, so that he can stay close to Penny.

"As for the rest of you, do you have anything else you might want to do before you leave on this final mission?" Glynda turned to the two teams.

"We'd just like to rest." Jaune replied, referring to himself, Nora and Ren. "I'd like to spend some time here in New Vale, preparing for the battles ahead."

"I want to go to Patch." Yang mentioned. "If there's a chance we'll not be coming back, I at least want to see dad, one last time."

"Same." Ruby joined her up on that idea, and at this point; it was obvious Blake and Weiss were going to follow.

"Very well. I'll have Penny pick you up from there already, so don't come back to New Vale." Glynda concluded, and each time, followed by their leader, went outside, as team RWBY headed to Patch.

* * *

The sun already set by the time they arrived. The moonless sky glared at them from above, and team RWBY reached the small house, deep in Patch's woods, where Ruby and Yang's father resided and knocked on the door. Tai-yang, as though already knowing who it was, came up and opened for them, letting the four in.

"So... You finally came back..." Tai-yang hugged his two daughters.

"For now." Yang told him. "We'll be leaving in a few days now, so we decided to rest up here before we leave."

"Why, where are you going?" Tai-yang asked, and Yang came to tell him, only remembering at the last second he didn't know about Salem and her connection to the maidens.

"To fight the one responsible for the maiden's deaths." She replied, hiding Raven's involvement in this. The last thing she needed was for him to know too, and risk triggering a protective response from their father.

"But isn't that really dangerous?" Tai-yang wondered, as his expression began to twist in worry. "Please Yang, Ruby, tell me you two aren't taking on something bigger than you can chew."

"Perhaps we are." Yang came and hugged him again. "But either way, we can't give up now. I, WE, came so far since the old Vale fell, dad. And we did all of this using nothing but our own strength and willpower. If we don't do this, a lot more could be hurt."

"But are you sure you can survive?" Tai-yang's question was oddly accurate.

"I'll try my best." Yang cheerfully smiled. She knew exactly what she was getting into, and it didn't bother her at this point. She looked around, only to see her partner, as well as her sister's and her partner's auras, all shining with their own path and resolve. Even in the end, each of them stood for her own reasons, yet they stood together, bound as one against a common enemy.

"Well, we should really go to bed now." Yang yawned for the first time in weeks. "I'm actually quite tired at this point. Come on Blakey!" Yang grabbed her by her hip, and dragged the faunus to her bed, while Weiss and Ruby, giving each other a calm glance, went ahead as well to Ruby's room, for a much-needed rest.

After they all left him alone, Tai-yang quickly pulled out his scroll, contacting Qrow.

"Hey, Tai. Something on your mind?" Qrow asked, already half-guessing where this conversation was going to go.

"Yang said she was going to fight the one responsible for the maiden's deaths. What do you know about this?"

Qrow thought for a few minutes before answering him.

"Well, she and her team are going to do exactly what she told you, Tai. The maidens are dead, all of them, and now we have no other choice."

"Even the winter and spring maidens?" Unlike Heath, the now dead summer maiden, the deaths of the other two were kept a secret, hidden away from the public eye, as to not cause paranoia and fear.

"Yes, as sad as it is to say." Qrow sighed. "We can't afford to send as many as we would like, but I trust my niece, Tai." Qrow tried to relieve him. "She's far, far stronger than what you remember of her. Trust me; we've sparred before. She can pack one hell of a punch."

"I know... I know..." Tai-yang, while agreeing with Qrow, still found it hard just to let go. "But I can't afford to lose any of them, Qrow. They are the only family I have left, and since Raven is never coming back," Qrow bit his lip at the mention of his sister. "I just can't bring myself to lose another one close to me."

"Then you have to trust them to know what they are getting themselves into." Qrow concluded. "You can't keep them cooped away from the world, Tai. Especially not now."

Tai-yang looked at the stairs leading to the second floor of his house, where by now his daughters and their girlfriends were probably either about to sleep or already quite under.

"I guess you're right. Thanks, Qrow." in his heart, Tai-yang began to feel some hope for his daughter's safety.

"Glad to help." Qrow hung up, leaving Tai-yang to his own devices, as he went upstairs himself, and went to sleep.

* * *

The few days they had to spare in Patch passed over the team without much action. While the grimm did rise in numbers, even on the small island, the huntsmen designated from New Vale were more than capable of keeping them at bay, letting Ruby and her team get the well-deserved rest they needed. At last, though, the call from Glynda confirmed to them that Penny's plug-in was finished, and that Jaune and his team were already on a boat, heading in their direction to pick them up. They waited at the ferry of Patch' small town, where ships would travel to and from between New Vale and Patch all the time, and the group boarded, seeing Nora, Ren, Jaune, and Penny at the helm, along with a container, which had a large number of dust crystals, in many different colors, all lined up.

"Glynda gave it to us. Said we might as well get ready by forging our ammo on the way. Great way to waste time too." Jaune commented to the group, looking rather tense. The impending battles were those that in the end decide the fate of the world, and unlike the others, he had to use in forging dust, seeing as even his sword had no trace of the stuff in it.

"Well? What are we waiting for, then?" Yang smirked, and took a single orange crystal, sitting on the deck, and grinding it away, as the rest of the group joined her, on the path to the final battle.


	62. I Forgive You

At first, the dragon continent didn't seem that bad. The sand, drifting from both New Vale and Vacuo's beaches gathered on the shore, creating a small, thin beach line, even containing some fauna, such as coconut trees and a few bushes. Of course, the seemingly innocent appearance didn't fool anyone: If Salem was there, and Yang was sure of it, they expected the landscape to take a turn for the worst, and soon.

"Well, here we are." Jaune said, and signaled to Penny, who pressed a button on the ship, revealing a compartment with four motorcycles in it, as well as supply for a few weeks.

"..." Ruby stared into the north, only to see storm clouds in the distance, as well as grimm. Tons of grimm, circling what seemed like a singular point in the north. "I think that's where we should go." Ruby looked towards it. They opened up a map, trying to deduce where the grimm were flying precisely, until they realized that in fact, in was the dragon's mouth, all the way across the continent.

"It's a good thing Glynda gave us those bikes, then." Ren said. Glynda realized that there was a high chance that they would have to travel a very long distance, so just in case, she gave them some motorcycles, as a means of land-based transportation, along with the supplies.

"Okay! I call driver!" Yang went ahead, and grabbed one of the bikes, patting the back seat. "Well, Blakey? You coming or what?" Blake came up to her, and sat behind Yang, grabbing onto her. In the end, while she wasn't an expert driver, Weiss paired up with Ruby, while Ren got Nora behind him, and Penny, having being given data on motorcycles as well, took Jaune with her, and after packing up whatever they needed, and headed out, into the land of Salem.

As they drove on and on, the landscape indeed changed, and the sandy shores and single trees were replaced with nothing else but barren land. The trees were gone, the water was gone, and the only thing left was red, burning earth and granite, with clusters of dust crystals appearing all over the place.

At first, Yang was amazed to see so much unrefined dust all over the place, only confirming her discovery that no humans lived there. The ground was too dry, and the lack of dust mining left little doubt in her mind.

"Wait!" Ruby called, and they lowered their engines, quieting down as to a halt. There, beyond a cliff they passed by, the finally saw the first grimm on their journey, a rather larger pack of beewolves, lead with an eldritchan alpha. One of them noticed the group, and the rest joined in, running at the group more like animals than anything else, with what appeared to be claws and fangs.

"Get ready!" Ruby called, and prepared Crescent Rose, jumping from the bike, and landing on one of the grimm, and slicing it, killing the creature in what hit. _Well, at least they aren't as strong..._ Ruby felt a little relieved, as the group went on, taking out the grimm with ease. From there, every few feet, they would encounter groups of grimm, sometimes those humanoid ones, and sometimes the regular beowulves, deathstalkers, etc.

Other than the occasional grimm attack, the road was mostly uneventful. The days passed, and soon, they were deep within the storm, covered on all sides by dark, yet rainless clouds, and barren, corrupted land. Even the dust crystal began to darken as the time went by, creating darker and darker shades of their colors, to the point Yang wasn't even sure it was safe to merely touch them.

* * *

At one of the nights, Yang found it hard to sleep. She got up from the sleeping bag she had, and went across the campfire they made with some red dust, approaching Jaune, who was on guard duty.

"So..." She sat beside him. "It's already been about two weeks since we started this journey. You think it's going to be much longer?"

Jaune, while still looking at the distance, opened his mouth. "Better be. Our bikes are almost out of gas, you know."

Yang looked out too, and sighed. He was right, and for as much supplies Glynda gave them for the road, the one thing they ran out of the fastest was fuel, and with no way to replenish other than a fuel container she gave them, which, too, was already done, it became apparent that would have to go on on foot from there.

"...Do you really think we can win this?" Yang asked him out of nowhere. While she herself was quite confident in her abilities, she still wanted to know how others reacted to this grave task. Essentially, they were taking on the very driving force of the grimm here.

"I don't think it's about winning or losing." Jaune answered. "I believe this is about doing what we have to do. This is what Pyrrha did, when she was alive. She always strove to do what was best for everyone, even if it meant she was going to get hurt, and for her sake, I won't just turn my back on the world."

The two looked at each other for a brief moment, and from there, at the blank sky. Here, even further then in New Vale, the moonless skies looked more and more unwelcoming than ever, taking a blood red color that almost seemed unnatural. This was the scenery around them for a while now, and the ominous feeling that the final battle was approaching in huge steps only became more and more vivid.

* * *

By now, the bikes were dead, abandoned a while back. By their calculation, it took the group at least three weeks of contestant driving to get to the dragon's mouth, and the hosts of aerial grimm were now hovering almost right above them, beneath a completely blood red sky. The sun was gone, the stars all but vanished, and at this point, it looked as though they entered a completely different realm.

"Look!" Yang pointed out, as the path before them began to look a little more man-made. The gigantic chunks of blackened crystal were pushed aside, as what began to look like a road stretched before them. On one hand, they were a bit overjoyed, to have finally reached something resembling solid advancement. On the contrary, they could hear howls and screeches everywhere, as hordes of grimm came from all directions. The group prepared for combat, but all of a sudden, the grimm stopped, being sliced in half, as a familiar face showed up before them.

"You!..." Ruby called in anger.

The grimm knight, Salem's hand, stood before them, with its pitch black, featureless face. It's sword, now covered with the ichor of its lesser kin, as it dripped little by little onto the floor, as it turned to the group, and a low, distorted voice was heard.

"You are trespassing on my master's grounds. You will be punished with death."

"Then why kill your own spawn?!" Ruby asked. "Why not let us fight them?!"

Salem's hand said nothing, merely readying its sword, and charging at the group, at full force. Ruby prepared to block it, but all of a sudden, Penny's blades sprung forth, stabbing it and pushing it away, and team JNPR got ready for a fight.

"GO!" Jaune called to them. "We'll handle him! You head out for Salem!" Yang looked at his aura, filled with resolve and determination, and nodded, taking the rest of her team with her, as they ran past the knight. It came to give chase, but this time, Nora shot a grenade at it, blocking it's path, giving team RWBY enough time to escape and move on.

"Ren?" Nora turned to her partner, sounding calmer than usual.

"Yes?" He asked her.

"If we survive this... I want you to know I love you, and I do want to be... together-together... with you." She whispered.

Ren simply looked at her. Somewhere in his heart, he knew that in the end, it was going to be him and Nora, and eventually, he came to accept that as a reality, after all, she already called dibs on him in front of anyone who knew him (Though not when he was there) but besides that, she was kind to him, appreciated him and his cooking, and they knew each other since they were little. The only thing he waited for was hearing her say it.

"Okay." He said with a confident smile, which managed to fill Nora with happiness, and she put on a brave face, pointing her hammer at the grimm knight.

"Sorry, PAL." She said and grimaced, brandishing her hammer. "But you are going NOWHERE!" From there, she hit the ground with Magnhild, launching herself into the air, coming to land a direct hit on the grimm knight. In retaliation, it drew its sword, coming to impale Nora as she dropped in his direction, only to be stopped by Jaune, coming at him, and parrying his blade with Crocea Mors. Salem's hand jumped back, and waved its hand, spawning a group of lesser eldritchan grimm. They ran towards the group, but Ren was ready, and with his speed, his dashed through them, shooting and slicing as he ran past, leaving behind his nothing but dissipating corpses.

"Nora!" Meanwhile, Penny came to Nora's aid, creating a small platform with her swords for Nora to land on, and she propelled the hammer-wielding maniac at the Knight, letting Nora launch herself from Penny's blades. This time, she hit the grimm knight head on, while spinning with her hammer, and it blocked her with its sword, while raising the other hand, to punch her. Jaune acted quickly, and jumped in between them, taking the hit with his shield, while Nora shot herself away again, landing next to Penny, while Ren came next to them.

"Why?" The knight spoke while he and Jaune struggled for dominance, fist against shield. For such a small human, Jaune's strength was something else, and even without her semblance, he managed to stave off the knight's overwhelming power. Jaune raised his sword, slashing the knight with agility, and jumped away, only to see the knight grab one of the lesser grimm he summoned, and kill it in its hand, shoving the ichor into its mask, where Jaune hit him. Soon after, the black scar on its head was gone, and the knight readied his blade once more, coming at the Equalizer, while more and more grimm surrounded his team, forcing them to fight them off.

"Why do you keep going?" The Knight clarified. "Throughout all of history, one such as you never came. Why are you here?" The way it spoke made Jaune think this was not the first time Salem's hand had to fight humans who came directly towards Salem.

"Because you killed my friend." Jaune glanced at the circlet, hanging from his waist. "Because you are the last thing holding us back from a genuinely equal world!" The Knight came close to Jaune with great speed, only to be stopped by a single, metallic blade, piloted from afar. Penny, hovering a few feet in the air now, gathered all of her blades, transforming them into guns, and spinning them in the Hand's direction.

"Nora! Ren! Cover for her!" Jaune commanded, as he turned to his opponent, adamant on buying Penny as much time as he could, while the dynamic duo shot all the airborne grimm that flew at her, intending to break her apart.

"Take THIS!" Nora jumped into the air, activating her semblance, and generating massive loads of electricity in her body. She came to one of the grimm, and hit it with her hammer, shocking her beast and frying it from the inside. From there, Ren directed her, as she moved from one grimm to the next, taking them out. Alas, while they were busy protecting Penny, a rogue grimm came from behind Ren, slashing him with a claw.

"RENNNNN!" Nora called in anger, and used the grimm she was on to shoot herself to the ground, tending to her wounded soon to be special one.

"D-Don't worry... I'll heal..." Ren said to her, but Nora, engulfed in Rage, couldn't hear a thing. She lashed out, her body jolting with thunder, as she morphed her hammer to its grenade launcher form, and started to blast the skies with round after round of dust grenades, blasting everything in sight, forcing Penny to to dodge her fury here and there.

"Come on Nora! Calm Down!" Jaune called to his teammate, while also keeping the grimm knight itself busy. The two warred on, blocking sword with sword, while Jaune tried to keep in within Penny's range. At this point, he wanted to preserve his aura, thus not activating his semblance, while the knight came at him with physical power rivaling his own, perhaps even surpassing it. Whatever it was, one thing was for certain: It was old, and it was WAY physically stronger then Raven.

Another blow, from above, and Jaune blocked it with his shield, The impact still got through, sending Jaune into a small shock, but his battle-hardened sensed pulled through, and not less than a second later, he was already back on his feet, running around the knight, looking for an opening in his stance.

"ENOUGH!" The Knight called out, and his blade shimmered black, as he struck the ground, sending a pulse of dark energy all around him. Jaune, in a last resort ditch, activated his semblance, negating the darkness a bit before it hit him, disabling it shortly after, and he used the opportunity to lounge at the Knight, landing another blow. The knight, without staggering, came to stab Jaune, only to be stopped by a hammer, flying into his face at high velocity. Nora, still mad, ran at the knight, using her own immense strength to push him over to the ground, as it rolled away while she fetched her hammer, and spun it in her hands, launching herself at Ren's direction, making sure he wasn't alone for long, and she resumed massacring the grimm around her. This gave Jaune ample time to dash at the knight, and push him even further, as the two kept on going.

"READY!" Penny finally called out, and Jaune, hearing the signal, jumped out of the way, as Penny blasted the knight with everything she had, depleting her power source on the way. The knight, now having to face a giant beam of green, blazing energy, while having no option to get away, readied his sword once more, and swung it at the beam, the dark-glowing material of the blade against Penny's light.

"AHHH!" Penny shouted, overloading her systems to the maximum they could output, and the knight, as though responding to her increase in power, started radiating dark entirely, as it's strength amplified, causing energy to radiate all around the impact site, sending blasts of wind at Jaune, who ran to Ren's aid, Ren himself, and Nora, clutching to his hand. He was still alive, somehow, but it was obvious he could not keep going from there, pretty much disabling Nora too.

"I. AM. DONE!" Salem's hand shouted, his voice more distorted than before, and he swung through, breaking Penny's blast, and she tumbled to the ground, having no energy to keep going. Nora caught her, and Jaune, seeing no other choice, turned to the knight, before speaking to Nora.

"Get Penny and Red go. I'll handle this."

"But Jau-"

"I said GO!" Jaune called again his voice filled with sternness. Nora, realizing what he is about to do, grabbed both her friends, and went away, giving Jaune all the space he needed.

"So you will face me alone?" The knight asked him, and Jaune nodded. "Admirable, and yet, foolish."

Jaune, simply grinning, grabbed Pyrrha's circlet, holding it near his mouth, and whispered to it.

"Keep watch over them, okay?"

And with that, he returned her circlet to his side, and activated his semblance, depriving both of them of their auras and powers.

"..." The knight said nothing, and raised its blade, running at Jaune. It derived the blade down, and Jaune jumped back, coming back at it, swinging his own sword. The two traded blows, over and over, Jaune showing much more of his capabilities, now that the Hand of Salem lost its ability to summon lesser grimm. Jaune rolled to the side, arriving at the grimm's back, and sliced it, leaving a gap oozing with sludge. The knight, in retaliation, spun in place, hitting Jaune directly, and sending him back. Jaune struggled to stand, as blood began to ooze from his chest, soaking his clothes, and yet, he pushed on, seemingly beyond his limits. The knight, showing no hints of surprise, came at Jaune, intending on finishing the warrior off, and Jaune, with the last bits of his strength, ducked from the attack, and drove his sword directly through the dark gray armor of the grimm knight, in one, swift motion. The knight, taking a mortal injury, tried to summon a grimm to heal, but to no avail. Jaune, keeping his semblance activated with all he had, made sure of that. He tried to fade away, and run in order to heal properly, and yet, even that was out of his reach, and all the knight had left was wallow in whatever it had that resembled pain as the body deteriorated, and faded back into nothing but black ashes.

Jaune breathed heavily. By now, the grimm around them were gone, finally leaving JNPR to their own devices. With the exception of Nora, both Jaune, Ren, and Penny were either passed out of damaged, and she had to stay with them, taking some bandages from what Glynda gave them, wrapping Jaune's new wound. At the very least, Jaune's aura returned to its original function, healing him, and slowly, but surely, the slice on his chest started to close, though it surely would leave a scar. With his last conscious moments for the time being, Jaune opened his mouth.

"I guess from here it's up for them, huh?..."

* * *

Meanwhile, team RWBY ran on, heading further and further into Salem's lair. The grimm only became harsher and harsher, as the eldritchan grimm became more and more brutal and distorted, melding into each other and creating new and horrifying monstrosities for the team to deal with. At last, the end seemed near, and a long, wide stretch of stairs began to form before them. As they came to climb them, presumably leading to their target, a portal opened up out of nowhere, and out of which, Raven stepped out, blocking them from advancing.

"..." Yang stared at her mother silently. The faux aura was still there, though much smaller in volume. It seemed that now that she served her purpose, Salem took back most of the power she gave Raven, leaving her at the same level that she was in when they fought her in Beacon.

"Yang..." Ruby came up to her, and put her hand on her shoulder. "We can't save her. You know this."

"Still going to try." Yang pushed Ruby's hand away, and turned to face her mother. She looked as hard as she could, searching for the tiniest glimpse of a soul left in her, and yet, she found nothing. This did not deter her, though, and Yang prepared the Dust and Blaze Celicas' claw form, ready to rip her way through to her mother's soul if she needed.

"You guys step back. She's mine." Yang firmly stated, and charged at her mother.

Fighting Raven one on one was nothing like fighting her with a group. Yang had to keep herself on her toes, constantly dodging Raven's lightning fast attacks, while occasionally managing to sneak it a hit. Raven came at her from the side, using her portals to jump around the battlefield, and yet, her faux-aura gave her away, and Yang saw her coming, morphing the Dust Celica into a blade as well, and blocking Raven with all of her might.

"MOM! PLEASE! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE!" Yang called out to her, but Raven said nothing, simply jumping back, and dashing in the other direction, attempting to slice Yang's Dust Celica off. The blade flew at her, crashing against the dust crystal, making a thunderous noise. Yang, taking advantage of the situation, grabbed Raven's blade, shattering it with her aura and pressure from her arm, forcing her to switch to another blade, this time, light blue. Yang jumped at her, flying at her direction, and Raven slashed her sword, sending a wave of ice in Yang's direction. She fell back, arm covered in ice, and Yang took a red crystal, and quickly broke a piece of the icy cover, applying some fire-elemental dust to her arm. The ice quickly melted, and Raven, seeing the change, pulled back the blade, pulling an aquamarine one. Yang started to chug fireballs at her mother, and Raven, with her blade now imbued with water, sliced them off, one by one, only for Yang herself to come at her at the end, the Dust Celica now clear of color. Once again, she broke another blade, forcing Raven to switch, and the fight went on.

After some more time, Raven started to dwindle on the number of blades she had left. Yang broke them, one by one, and she had no other choice but rely on her semblance more and more, teleporting around her daughter and coming at her in all manner of directions. Each time, Yang reacted in time, but little by little, she began to tire out. She clawed at Raven when the letter jumped at her from above, slashing her, as Yang tried to sever the darkness away from her soul. Alas, the Dust Celica hurt nothing of the sort, and while do hitting Raven's aura and taking a large chunk of it away, Raven kept her ground, running and teleporting around.

"Please..." Yang's voice became weaker, and Raven, seeing her weakness, came to end her, sword directed at her throat. At the last moment, Yang still managed to get away, just in the nick of time, her survival instinct taking the helm and moving her body. Raven didn't let up, and Yang dropped to the defensive, merely avoiding the tip of her blade.

"Yang! You have to hang on!" She heard Blake's voice in the distance. "You have to fight!"

Yang didn't say anything, letting up. She wanted to save her mother, with every fiber of her being, but now, at the very edge of the end, it became more and more apparent that perhaps there was nothing _left_ to save.

"Yang!" Ruby joined in. "Please! You have to end her! For her sake!"

Hearing Ruby say such a thing made Yang almost furious, but deep down, she knew Ruby was right.

"Come on!" Weiss said, becoming a little impatient. "What happened to the noble Dustmaster that could wreck everything around her?! You can't save her, Yang! This is the only way!"

Weiss' encouragement, if you could even call it that, still moved Yang a bit. In the end, Yang was just deluding herself, while the truth stared her right in the face.

Her mother, Raven Branwen, was gone from this world, and there was nothing that she could do.

Yang suddenly shifted stance, tightening her focus and aura. Her semblance activated, making her eyes, arm, and hair shine bright gold, as her transformed semblance made her only more and more focused and aware of her surroundings. Raven came from above, but Yang, with her newfound strength and resolve, simply caught the blade midair, shattering it with ease.

"Forgive me." She firmly said, and dashed at her mother, going on the offensive. Sending her claws it slices and punches, she attempted to tear through her mother's aura, rendering it asunder. Now, the tables were turned, and Yang only continued to burn further and further, almost to the point that her hair literally caught on fire. She threw a punch at Raven, with blinding speed, and this time, she hit her directly, sending Raven flying away. Meanwhile, Raven herself tore up another portal, and flew through it, disappearing, and waiting around Yang for the perfect opportunity.

Yang looked around, waiting for her mother to emerge. She kept her guard up as high as possible, but alas, her lack of aura was becoming a problem. Yang needed to rest, and fast, otherwise, she was going to keel over, and the battle would have been lost. She looked towards her team, and saw Ruby's face, pleading to let her help.

"No! This is MY fight!" Yang called out to her, and in that brief moment, where she didn't pay every fiber of attention to her mother, Raven spotted the perfect chance, and reappeared too close for Yang to react in time, stabbing her in the thigh.

"GHAH!" Yang fell, hurt and bleeding. Her aura quickly closed the wound, but the pain and trauma were already there, leaving her momentarily defenseless against the soulless Raven, which came to strike her down.

 _Come on!... I can't stop here!..._ She tried to force her body to move, and in the end, she had no other choice but to expand some of her aura on another morph, turning the Dust Celica into another pole, just long enough to guard her against Raven's attack. Raven raised her sword, coming to strike at Yang again, but Yang was ready, and this time, shapeshifted the Dust Celica back into an arm, and grabbed the blade, this time trying not to break it, and instead hold Raven in place, restraining her movement. Unfortunately, Raven just detached the blade from the hilt, jumping back, and producing another one. She looked for a brief moment, and noticed that at last, she was on her last blade, so it was now or never.

"So, you're finally done, huh?..." Yang staggered up, and gazed fiercely at her parent. "All this time, all these years when you were gone..." Yang felt the anger rise up in her. She had every right to be furious, to be mad, to go over there and obliterate her mother for good, and yet, somewhere within the confines of her heart, a small pulse of sympathy resonated with her soul. "And yet... I can't bring myself to hate you..." She said, as tears began to form on her face. Raven, having little to no reaction to seeing her daughter open her heart, just dashed on, as though nothing happened, and came to slice Yang, who jumped to the side, avoiding her.

"I still love you... And I want you to know, that I forgive you..." Yang gave a small sigh, and faced her mother once more, readying everything she had.

"And I am so, so sorry."

Yang gave it her all. The dust reacted to her aura, increasing her speed, and Yang ran, faster than her mind was even able to process the information, towards Raven. She got close again, and Raven tried to block her, or at least get out of her path, but Yang's hands moved with a speed she was not even able to comprehend, and she threw her hand.

She hit her mother directly, punching through her very faux-soul.

Raven tried to get up. Her body, now filled with internal bruises and wounds from Yang's punch, called out, as, just like before, the darkness came to her assistance, etching itself onto her body and healing her. Yang did not wait for her to finish, and brought up a bleach white crystal, fueling her Dust Celica, and body by extension, with the power of wind. She moved more nimbly than before, showing up near her mother before the darkness even managed to finish repairing her, and pushed Raven again, causing even more damage. This time, Raven, as though realizing she was on her last straw, created a circle of portals around Yang, disappearing into one of them, and all of a sudden, she started to dash through from portal to portal with her very last blade held forth, as she initiated her final trump card. Yang, now stuck in the middle of her range, shifted into maximum awareness more, utilizing her aura vision, semblance, AND dust enhancements, to virtually see exactly how Raven's faux-aura moved through the portals, and was able to dodge her each time. All she had to do was wait, and eventually, Raven's aura, being consistently used to keep the portals up, would cease, allowing Yang to finish this.

 _Once from the right, now the left, now behind me,..._ Yang processed the situation as fast as she could, seeing her mother coming each time. However, even she managed to dodge her sword, he leg, still stabbed, started to take its toll on her, and she began to slow down a bit, while Raven managed to scratch her here and there, and with her impeccable speed, strands of blood started to show up all over her body. Finally, Raven came directly at her. Yang's heart pounded so loudly she could hear it vividly, and it was now, or never. Either her mother's sword or Yang's fist.

She threw her punch, morphing the Dust Celica one last time, and piercing Raven's heart.

Raven staggered back. She waited for the darkness to come help her, and as usual, the came, though much slower this time, seeing what little amount of aura she had left. Yang approached her, and jammed the Dust Celica through her chest once more, leaving no traces in there to heal, as Raven keeled over, and fell to the floor, dead.

It wasn't even like Cinder, or the other grimm. She didn't dissipate into nothing or black ashes, and her body just laid there, with black, crystalline lattice all over it, at various places. Yang just stood above her body, tears flowing on her face, and Blake came over, giving her a hug from behind.

"I-I finally get now... What you went through..." While Yang could see what it was for Blake, having to deal with having to kill someone precious to her, it was nothing as facing this herself. Her mother was gone now, by her own hands, and this was something Yang would have to carry with her to her grave.

"Then you know you have to let go." Blake stated. "It will take time, but for now, we have a mission to finish." She said and stared at the stairs, leading up and above. Yang sobbed a little more, but in the end, Blake was right.

"Just, give me a minute, okay?" Yang sat down, and focused on regenerating Aura and healing her body, giving Ruby, Weiss, and Blake just a little more time to get mentally prepared for the final showdown against Salem.

"So, this is it, huh?..." Ruby pondered out loud. She couldn't believe that only about two years ago, she got accepted into Beacon, with the bright dream of becoming a huntress, and now, she stood at the apparent end of her journey to save all of Remnant from the grimm. She looked to her side at her lover, Weiss, and then to her sister and her partner, Blake, and finally, at the road up, to Salem herself.

"Okay, I'm done." Yang got up, rejuvenated.

"Then let's finish this." Ruby stated, and team RWBY, united together, started their ascent.


	63. Our Place In The World

The group made their way through the granite, blocky stairs, all the way up. It was a few minutes' walk, and soon, they could see the very edge of the road, a black, large shadow leaning on the floor before them, beneath a blood red, moonless sky. Before them stood nothing more than a single, human-like being, wearing a black gown with a red eye pattern drawn on the back, and her ashen white hair, collected into six offshoots, as well as a cluster on the back. Each offshoot was adorned with black, ichor-like ornaments, dripping the black material onto the ground beside her. But her skin, visible on her hands, was what scared terrified Ruby the most: Her skin, covered with red, pumping veins, was white as death itself.

"..." Ruby said nothing. None of them did. The only thing that happened for what felt like an eternity was just them, staring at the back of a feminine shaped body, as it looked towards the sky, radiating pure, evil intent. They didn't even need any aura sight or special powers to feel this, as the being appeared to do this deliberately, as if to show off or something similar.

"And so, you came." She finally said, and turned around, showing her face to the team. Like the rest of her skin, her face was bleach white, with narrow, vindictive eyes, coupled with red pupils, surrounded by pitch black sclera. On her forehead, a single, black diamond shape stood, while from her eyes, various veins spread out, covering the sides of her head.

"...Are you Salem?" Ruby asked her, while pulling Crescent Rose. Next to her, Weiss already had Myrtenaster in hand, Blake pulled both Wilt & Gambol Shroud, and Yang had her dust claws at the ready, with the Dust Celica itself glowing with her golden eyes.

"That is what he calls me, I presume..." Salem turned her head back to the scene below her, as the grimm beneath her altar continued to ravage one another, killing and massacring en masse, and without mercy. Ruby could hear the gnarls and shrieks below the cliff in front of them, but didn't say anything. The only thing on her mind right now, was the very being they were sent to kill, now standing before them, but not in fear, or even anger. The only thing Salem showed at the moment was pure, cold, supreme indifference, as though none of it actually mattered to her at that point.

"Then you know what we came here for." Ruby tightened her resolve, and let a spark of white flash out of her silver eyes, in an attempt to intimidate her opponent.

"And so... Another one..." Salem said, this time without even turning her head. "Such a shame... but now.. its all over..."

"What do you mean it's over!? It ain't over yet until we SAY it's over!" Yang clutched her fist in determination.

"Alas... Your fate had already been sealed..." Salem's head turned to the sky. "Look, as you silent guardian is dead and gone, brought to extinction by your own, miserable hands..."

None of them looked. They already knew this, that no one was to watch over them, and kept their gaze directly at her.

"And what of it?" Weiss opened up her mouth this time. "We don't need the moon! We came here on our own accord!"

"Foolish child..." Salem said with a condescending tone. "The moon watched over you, protecting you from harm... Now that it is gone, and my full splendor had returned to me, you stand little chance..." She sounded too sure of herself, only angering Ruby and her team further.

"And still!" Blake called out. "We won't back down! We WILL take you down, and we WILL protect the world, and those we care about!"

"... " For some reason, Salem did not respond right away. She actually turned again, this time, her gaze fixated firmly on Blake, especially her cat ears. "And on what right do you think you, a forsaken, have the permission to speak to me?" Salem raised her hand, and in an instant, her arm stretched out, engulfed in black, withering ooze and bone, coming directly at Blake. She reacted fast, and used her semblance to get out of the way, while Yang caught her, holding her in her hands.

"Grrr!..." Yang growled at her in anger.

"Humph." Salem gazed at them, further examining her opponents. "So brave, yet so small. You really have no idea what you are fighting for, do you?"

"For this beautiful world and everything in it!"

"For peace and justice, and a better future!"

"For the people, and everything they hold dear!"

"For my own reasons! And my own desires!"

The four of them called out to her simultaneously, and the only way Salem reacted was with a wide, menacing grin, stretching all the way across her face. It looked unnerving, making them all, even Weiss, uncomfortable to watch it. Her face continued to twist and stretch, until the grin became a wide, evil smile, literally going from ear to ear.

"He really has told you NOTHING, huh?..." Salem almost laughed at the clueless fools standing before her, and yet, she kept her calm demeanor, facing the group. "How pathetic, that he sends his warriors, without even showing them but a glimpse of the world around them."

"..." Yang stared at her, trying to piece together her thoughts, before opening her mouth.

"So what did you do with my mother?" Yang asked, with the final glimpse of hope in her heart that her mother could still be saved, at least in one way or another.

Salem looked at her, raising a single eyebrow, before ultimately, deciding to answer her. "Gone. Hallowed out from her soul, to be refilled by my design. I'll admit, she still had glimpses of herself the first time you saw her, but now, no matter what she had left it was all gone." Salem said in a calm, clean fashion.

The realization that she had, in fact, killed her mother for good, with no hopes of restoration, managed to shock Yang, and she stumbled back, this time caught by Blake.

"How could you?!" Blake shouted out. "How could you do this?!"

Salem quieted again.

"And once again, the forsaken speaks." Tones of utter disdain and disgust were clear in her voice. "Repulsing."

Blake said nothing. Again, Salem mentioned that word. Forsaken. Blake had no idea why, but for some reason, the word resonated with her, on a subconscious level. Something in her mind begged to know, screamed for the truth. She helped Yang to stabilize, and stood up.

"Why? Why was I forsaken? What do you mean?" Blake demanded to know.

"How amusing... Very well. If he won't tell you the truth, I will..." Salem seemed almost pleased at the concept of having the chance to demoralize her enemy with her words alone. "All this time... And you finally made your slip... Your one, fatal mistake... And now, my time to return everything to naught has finally come..." She stopped the monolog and turned to team RWBY.

"A question. Each. Let me reveal the true horrors of the world for you before you realize how pointless and meaningless your struggles were." She stepped down from her altar, and turned her entire body towards Blake. "Now, as for you, forsaken..." She gave a small pause, making Blake even tenser.

"Just tell me! What do you mean! Why does this word stir up such feelings in me!?" Blake felt herself torn apart. Something in her, primal beyond comprehension, caused her to feel small. Insignificant in the face of Salem.

"How quaint, that such a good for nothing creature such as yourself would not know how to address her maker." Salem stated firmly.

"M-M-Maker?..." Blake's pupils shrank down to tiny, amber spots.

Salem stilled herself, and started to explain. "I, throughout history, have dealt many a scheme and plots to bring humanity to its knees. With the grimm by my side, I have the forces and armies to take this world back, and yet, the forces of man had always managed to keep themselves safe from my clutches. Many times have I tried a new approach to this war, and each time that I failed, I moved on, either destroying or scavenging the last attempt." She gave Blake a stern, demeaning look. "You, the forsaken, stand living as a memorial for the one mistake I was not able to delete."

"W-What?!" Blake could barely keep herself standing.

"Man. Born from dust. Long ago, in this world, there were nothing but grimm, endlessly killing each other, in an endless cycle of predation and consumption. In the midst of the senseless violence, a single voice came to light. A means to, CONPLELTE, the grand design, if you will. Alas, the moment man came into my perfect garden, they started corrupting it with their very existence, I was forced to stop the chain of evolution, and send the grimm at the children of men. As time passed, and mankind only proved stronger and more tenacious than ever before, I realized the one, the only way to finally kill them out: From within. At first, I took dust, the same matter from which the children of men emerged from, and shaped it myself, fusing it with the essence of the creatures of grimm, to create a human, that was not human, marked by my hand with the shapes of the monsters of the world. A human that would infiltrate mankind from within, and bring them to their knees, using their own tools against them. Alas, amongst the children of men, there were those who sympathized with my creations. They came to care for them, and thus, include them into their cycle of life, filling them with the same hope that kept them alive. In time, they rebelled against me, and when I came to remove them from existence, the children of men intervened, guarding their new companions. I denounced them, forever forsaken for the disgrace they had become."

"No! NO! You lie! We can't, I can't! Everything I fou-" Blake's mind was running out of control. No matter what Salem just said, there was no possible way any of this was true. She couldn't accept it.

"Really? Then let ME ask you this:" Salem lowered her head, and her eyes began to glow red with malice. "Legends. Fairy tales of olden times, where men used to describe the exploits of both heroes, and monsters. And yet, on the face of humanity's rich history, one detail stands out, in the shadows of the absolute truth: The only ones mentioned were mankind. Not, a single, faunus." Using that term made Salem twist in disgust a little. "Tell me, if you were really created equals, where are you throughout history?"

Blake went into full panic. Her mind raced on, searching every piece of ancient literature, every book she read about such ancient days, searching for one, solitary mention of her very race, only to find that in the end, there were none. She dug deeper, still clinging to some last semblance of hope that she could find a single meaningful retort. And yet, the more she thought about it, the more the pieces began to fall into place: The racism, the discrimination, the need to be accepted, all of those would make utter sense if the faunus were, indeed, created on a later date then mankind. Even if some humans saw the faunus as equals at the time, history can be a fickle, flexible thing. With time, stories of heroism turn to villainy as the world changes, and even beyond that, there would always be people listening to prejudice and hatred, based on loose concepts from a past long gone, solely twisted by tales told from mouth to ear. Emotions ran wildly through her mind, and Blake, having nothing left to say, collapsed to her knees in despair. At this point, she wasn't even sure what she was anymore.

"Of course, the Forsaken that I brought into being were much more feral than those that roam this world today." Salem continued. "With time, you crossbred, the same source of creation allowing you to mingle, and the creatures you call faunus roam the earth to this very day, as nothing more than mere shells of what their ancestors were." Salem continued. "You can rest easy, knowing that when I bring this world back to what it was, your blemish of a race would be wiped out as well."

At this point, Blake was on the floor, in a catatonic state. Yang looked, as her aura raged beyond control, shifting colors in the blink of an eye, and flickering like mad.

"Blake..." Yang came to approach her, but Blake pushed her away.

"Just leave me! Get away from me!" She sobbed quietly.

"Anyone else?" Salem turned to the rest of the team.

"Once, when we fought Cinder, your grimm, she called me an ancient. What do you know about this?" Yang asked her, putting on a brave face for Blake and herself. She would mourn her mother later. Right now, they had the fight to finish.

Salem looked at her, and the Dust Celica. "The answer lies in your very origin. You were born of dust, conceived through it; flesh made through crystal. In times forgotten, the children of men, still new to my garden, had learned a fascinating fact about the material that brought them into being: their souls could pass through it, and be amplified, as well as many other forms of energy. Alas, they have discovered one, fatal truth: Once they join with the crystals as one, their flesh recedes, replaced with dust, until the same man that once stood before them returned whence it came. They buried this truth, in the same legends they clung to, and now you stand, as the one who didn't listen."

Yang couldn't believe her ears. "But look at me! I pushed through it! Became one with the dust! It has no hold over me!" While she said that, the images of the soldiers, turning into dust before her eyes, manifested in her mind. It was gruesome, and yet, Yang couldn't deny that some truth was in Salem's words. Even after the war was over, she felt it: The dust coursing through her veins, mingling with her blood and flesh. Here and there, she could feel tiny, minuscule portions of herself convert to dust, though in the same fashion, the dust would subside, creating a sort of loop within her body, or at the very least, a very slowed down process, she thought she could control.

"Perhaps." Salem returned to her. "And yet, all you have done is delay the inevitable. In the end, your fate, as well as all those in ancient times before you, is to return to dust itself, and flow in the wind of the world."

Yang wanted to fight back, but deep inside, she knew it was true. While the dust did not take her over, like before, she had, in fact, become one with it, in every meaning of the word. It was only a matter of time before her fate would be sealed.

"And me?" Weiss cut in, not even letting Yang cope with her inevitable demise. "What can you say to me, one who broke the chains of fate?"

Salem took a minute to get a good look at her.

"You? What sort of breath should I waste on such a meaningless child, such as yourself? You severed all ties you had to this world, and in gaining power, you have abandoned yourself. You are no longer a part of their world, nor mine, lost one. Forever will you be cursed to chase your own desires, and pursue endless goals, as the void in your heart will never be truly filled, leaving you eternally hungry for warmth."

"Why you!..." Weiss had heard enough, and dashed at Salem, who quickly dodged her attack, and retaliating with her own arm, sending Weiss tumbling back down the stairs.

"You see? Empty. Even in anger, you cannot truly call upon your full potential. It is locked away from you, beneath the mountains of restraint you put upon yourself, in order to keep your heart under control."

Weiss tried to stand up, but couldn't muster any strength. She looked back inside, and while the gap between herself and her emotions did shortened by quite a large margin, still, spots that were permanently damaged were visible. Weiss could fight it all she wanted, but ultimately, the empiric truth was, that she could never really regain what she had in full, and all the fighting in the world would not help her case.

"And you..." Salem turned, at last, towards Ruby, the last one still standing. "What do YOU have to ask? Do you even know of the miserable fate that awaits at the end of the beaten path you've chosen?"

"No. I'll admit that." Ruby stood there, and raised her weapon, pointing it at Salem. "But here is my question: The four maidens. You killed them all, didn't you? And now that the moon is gone, and the grimm only became stronger, there is only one thing I want to know: What, ARE, you? Why do all this?"

Salem stared at the silver eyed warrior, and came to answer her, with a blank, emotionless expression.

"I was born amidst the darkness. In truth, this body is disgusting to me, only forced to create it as a means of killing you and your kin." Salem raised her finger, pointing at Ruby. Now, that she moved her body in a fashion not meant for attacking, Ruby could see how unnerving Salem's movements were. Her body seemed like more of a puppet, if anything, controlled by something that looked down upon it from the outside.

"I am the force of bloody evolution that guides this world, silver-eyed one. I have no name, nor age, preceding even the most ancient of humans. You are a plague, a sickness on my perfect garden, and ever since you came and defiled my sanctuary, I have made it my mission to kill, and destroy, each and every last one of you. I will bring back this would to naught, and let the grimm return to the cycle of natural selection, forever uninterrupted by the puny likes of you." Salem decreed with regality not shown on her before.

"You're wrong!" Ruby called out in defiance. "We are not a plague! And we WILL stop you!"

"Pathetic." Salem snarled at her. "And for all this time, you haven't figured it out."

"What?"

"You true fate, is to die by my hands, and end this cycle of war and destruction, spiraling the world into what it was!" Salem called and raised her voice. "You want to know of the maidens?! Their power was MINE! Stolen by humans in ancient times. They spread it, hiding it away from my reach and enforcing rules to make sure I could never get it! But now, the tables have turned. Your moon is gone, your guardians have failed you, and the only thing you have left is your simple soul!" Salem came to raise her hand, and sent at Ruby. "Now DIE! You aberration! And fulfill your destiny!"

Just as Salem's hand reached Ruby, she activated her silver eyes, sending a pulse of aura back at her, blowing Salem's hand back at her.

"So what?!" Ruby called. "I won't lose here! Not to you! You say we are a plague, but I don't care! We are a part of this world, just as much as you are, and we will NOT go silently into the night! Forget the moon!" She readied Crescent Rose, and prepared to take on Salem.

"Ruby's right!" Weiss joined up. "After all this time, I forgot the very thing that allowed me to push on, after losing everything: My will! Even if my heart will never fully heal, and parts of me will stay dead, I don't care! I have my Ruby, and I have my goals, and I will prove to you, no, to the WORLD, that I, Weiss, will not be silenced this easily! You talk of fate, and destiny, but in my life, I have seen beyond them! FUCK FATE! I'll do things my own way, and no one will stop me!"

Yang watched her sister and partner face Salem, and saw how, while Ruby's aura was filled with hope, Weiss' was amplified by sheer force of will. At the end of the day, nothing truly kept Weiss tethered to this world, and the mere notion that she chose to stay showed beyond the shadow of a doubt that she was stronger than fate itself.

"You're right." Yang rose up, and faced Salem as well. "I see now, that in a way, you are right, and yet, wrong. Even if the grimm were here before us, we are now a part of this world just as much as they are! As you are!" She pointed at Salem with the Dust Celica. "And if you say that my fate is to become crystal, then I guess my only option is to go forward! No holding back!" As she said that, she felt the connection with the dust only tighten. This was the one that was going to transcend fate.

Blake watched the rest of her team flared up, ready for the battle. Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that deep inside, the revelation that Salem brought upon her and her race shattered everything she knew. Still, deep within her soul, beneath the pain and misery, she started to feel the familiar aspects of her soul come, to comfort her. The afterimage became what saw herself as, the Blake that stood and fought to the very end. The clone imitated her face, showing her what she is now, looking both terrified and hopeful. And the companion, the clone of her capable of making its own decisions, gave her its hand, as though to held guide her towards the future.

"...I see now." Blake finally spoke up, snapping out of her trauma. "You said, that in a way, we are no more like the forsaken that you brought into being to infiltrate mankind and kill them from within. Now I see the truth: We have evolved too! Changed in our own way! Now, me, and every faunus out there, are united as one, bridging the gap between human and faunus!" Blake made up her mind. "It doesn't matter what we were! It matters what we CHOOSE to be! AND I CHOOSE TO STAND BEFORE YOU, PROUD OF MY HERITAGE, AND FIGHT ON!"

And with that, Salem finally had enough.

"Fine. Then you can die together." She said as she raised her hand, and her eyes began to glow in a myriad of colors. All of a sudden, blasts of fire and ice fell upon the group, and Weiss, donning her armor, blocked the entire attack with her glyphs, while Blake, jittering with her reflections, ran towards Salem directly. Salem tried to move her other hand, sending another tendril at Blake, but Blake used her afterimages to dodge, and coming close to Salem, she allowed her clones to phase through her, creating a condensed Wilt made of several reflections. She swung her sword at Salem, embedding it with the power of several Blakes at the same time, and she managed to hit her, causing Salem to step back, but only slightly, while Blake jumped back and away, splitting into a small task force, and surrounding Salem while running. Ruby, on her end, came at Salem as well, spinning Crescent Rose, and while Salem tried to impale her as well, Yang intervened, sending the Dust Celica forth, and blocking her hand.

"Take THIS!" Ruby let her silver eyes flare on, and swung her scythe at Salem, hitting her as well. Salem, staggering back, momentarily losing her control over the powers of the maidens, letting Weiss return to the fray. The White Knight conjured several glyphs, all around Salem, allowing Blake's clones hop through them, creating a barrage of black lines that attacked Salem's body from all directions, while Ruby, still in the air, turned the tip of Crescent Rose at her too, and started to shoot several dust rounds at their opponent. Salem bellowed, sending a dark pulse all around her, both negating Ruby's bullets and Blake's clones, and stretched her hand towards Ruby, morphing it into an eldritch mess, while igniting it on the same time.

"Ruby!" Weiss reacted fast, creating a glyph, and jumping towards her partner, grabbing Ruby, and using another glyph to dart down, before Salem could reach her. Meanwhile, Yang came close, throwing punches and kicks, while Salem returned in kind, locking the two in close combat.

Salem came from above, slamming her arm onto the ground, and Yang jumped to the side. She quickly grabbed a red crystal, filling her soul with fire, and both the Dust and Blaze Celicas radiated pure fire, while Salem, noticing her gambit, called upon the power of ice and water, freezing her own hands. Yang came to punch her, and Salem grabbed the Dust Celica in her hand, flailing it, and throwing Yang to the ground. Yang, while flying through the air, didn't miss a beat, and landed on her feet while grabbing the floor with the Dust Celica, stopping next to Blake.

"Yang! Are you okay?!" Blake cried out worried.

Yang, with a small stream of blood coming from the edge of her mouth, wiped it out, and smirked. "Yeah! Now let's do this!"

Blake nodded, and pulled Gambol Shroud, giving Yang the blade end, while using the ribbon attached to it, plus the strength of several clones, to start spinning Yang midair. Yang began to run too, helping Blake get some momentum, and soon, Yang began to fly through the air, coming at Salem over and over, punching her with the fire infused Blaze Celica. Salem blocked her each time, looked at her right arm, as it became a horrid blade, of blackened flesh infused with darkened crystal and white bones. Whatever she passed as skin tore itself apart as the final adjustments were made, and the next time Yang came at her, Salem was ready. In one fell swoop, she came to stab Yang directly, who did not have enough time to react, and she let go of Gambol Shroud, to make sure Blake won't be pulled too from the impact. She was forced to use her aura as a shield, using her expert understanding of it to maximize her guard, and Yang, while not being impaled, was blown back from the sheer force of Salem's blade, and she landed on the floor.

"Yang!" Ruby called, and she and Weiss dashed at Salem, weapons ready. Salem swung her hand-blade at Ruby, the two parrying each other with their weapon, as Weiss jumped in between the two, sending the knight's blade forth to Salem's face. She hit her, and yet, Salem did not look a bit surprised or hurt by the fact that her face was just impaled through. The two jumped back, in shock, as Salem sent fireballs, empowered by wind at them.

"I told you." Salem spoke up again. "I am nothing but the essence that guides the grimm's carnage. This body is nothing more than a puppet for me, to manifest the immense powers I command through. Nothing you do to it will truly hurt me!"

"We'll see about that!" Ruby called with determination. With her flaring silver eyes, her speed, strength, and even thought speed increased. She came at Salem, Crescent Rose in hand, and Salem, moving quickly, turned her other arm into a blade, in an attempt to cross slash Ruby. She saw it coming, and used her semblance to get out of the way, spinning around Salem, until finally jumping into the air, while Weiss supplied her with a glyph right above her head. Ruby stopped midair, redoubling herself for a brief moment, before crashing down in speeds almost matching the speed of light, shattering the stairs beneath the two. Ruby jumped back, switching with Weiss, as the letter came at Salem, enlarging the Knight's blade in full, and swinging with all of her might at the her. Salem regained her posture almost immediately, catching Weiss midair, holding her by the blade, as Weiss smirked. She loaded a purple crystal onto Myrtenaster, creating a great gravitational pull towards her, practically sticking Salem onto her blade and armor, and Weiss conjured another accelerating glyph, slamming Salem onto the ground. Salem rolled away, getting back up, and raised her hand once again, this time changing it into what looked like a maw of a dragon. Her eyes shone yellow over red, and her insides of her mouth began to glow and heat up, and she launched a massive fireball at Ruby.

"Ruby!" Yang called out and rushed to her aid, already using more red dust with the Dust Celica. She held the fireball on its path with both her hands, and while not being able to absorb so much heat and energy, she was still able to hold it back, letting Ruby and Weiss get out of the way towards Blake.

"GYAHHH!" Yang lifted her arms, and threw the small inferno away into the air behind her, hitting one of the massive nevermores that hovered above them. The grimm, now aggravated as well, dashed down at the group, as Blake and her forces kept them at bay, slicing and cutting the massive forces of the grimm alone. Meanwhile, Yang helped her out, chugging fireballs, ice spears, and thunderbolts at the grimm too, while Weiss and Ruby kept Salem busy, combining their speeds together to try and overwhelm her.

Ruby slashed horizontally at Salem, while Weiss jumped above her, charging her armor with white dust. Salem jumped back from Ruby, while Weiss came from above, sending a pulse of sharp wind at her, managing to slice Salem in a few places. Ruby took advantage for this, and aimed her rifle part at Salem, shooting her from point blank. The bullet pierced her head, coming from the other side, and it hit one of the nevermores in the back, blowing it apart.

"Hah... hah..." Salem laughed weakly, as she approached the very edge of her altar. "So... You managed to cower this body, huh?... Well, no matter..." She said, and slipped down, falling into the back of the cliff. Ruby looked down below, and saw grimm, hundreds of thousands of types grimm, both eldritchan and not, constantly killing and tearing each other apart, while the stronger once thrived through, eating the weak.

"So... This is the world that was before us..." Ruby sighed in the brief moment they had. It was, in fact, but a glimpse of what was before the children of men came about, and ushered in their age. The grimm below, some looking more ancient than humanity itself, tore through hordes of the others, eating and consuming them just as they consumed humans and faunus.

"AND WHAT THE WORLD SHALL RETURN TO." A booming voice came out of nowhere. Suddenly, A torrent of darkness and ooze came from the ground below, and Ruby jumped back as the blackness began to mold itself, forming an enormous torso-like body, with two massive black arms. On top of it all, Salem, or at least what used to be her body, stood, melded by black flesh to the monstrosity before them.

"NOW, WE ARE DONE!" Suddenly, more and more arms and claws began to form out of the black torso. Bone blades, several mouths, holes and appendages none of them could even call out by name appeared before them, as Salem revealed her full splendor to the team.

"DIE." She said, though not shouting, and sent her front against the group, and they all jumped to get away. The moment her new arms hit the ground, several shockwaves formed, sending darkened crystals all over the place, and Weiss jumped from glyph to glyph, Ruby used her speed to get away, Blake utilized her clones, and together, they flung each other through the chaos, and Yang, the only one taking the attack head on, tightened her body, with the use of her semblance, and punched the chunks of crystal directly, sending her aura through them and breaking them apart, one by one.

"FOOLS!" Salem sent more and more of her tendrils at the group, as huge blades and projectiles of various elements filled the area. "YOU KNOW THAT YOUR LIVES ARE MEANINGLESS. YOU ARE ALL FATED FOR DESPAIR!"

"We don't care!" Ruby called out, and lashed with her silver eyes, eviscerating some of Salem's hands and blades. "We'll keep pushing on, always, no matter what happens!" She let another surge of power come over her, and she dashed directly at Salem's main body, atop the grimm extension. Just as she came close, several more arms, now coupled with eldritchan grimm that started to climb her body, being drawn to the four auras that stood there, came before Ruby, slamming her, and sending her to the floor.

"Ruby!" Yang ran towards her. "Weiss! Cover! Blake! Distraction!" The two teammates listened to her, and while Blake drew Salem and the grimm's attention, and Weiss stood close by, just in case some of them got too close, Yang ran up to her sister, and pressed the Dust Celica against her chest, healing her.

"Thanks... Sis..." Ruby got up, and soon, the fight went on, as both sides unleashed more and more of what they had. At this point, Weiss was swinging her blade in all directions, slashing Salem's body apart, only for more appendages to replace those she decimated, When one of the blades managed to catch her off guard.

"Look out!" Yang pushed her out of the way, and Weiss, in return, created a glyph for Yang to jump from, and the two got away. Ruby herself battled on, spinning and shooting with Crescent Rose in all directions, as the grimm came at her in particular. Blake, noticing her trouble, jumped from the mouth she just finished killing, and came crashing down on one of the grimm, while creating a circle of clones protecting Ruby. Another one helped her up, and the two stood back to back, shooting the grimm all around them.

"ENOUGH!" Salem waved her normal hand, and the torso opened up, revealing a massive mouth inside of it. The arms, leaving team RWBY for a short while, started grabbing the grimm from all directions, feeding them to the big mouth in the middle, while also ridding them of the grimm that climbed her body from below. Once she was done, the big mouth opened up in the middle, charging a pile of pitch-black ooze.

Team RWBY looked at her building up her attack. Yang was almost out of aura completely, while Blake and Weiss, as well as Ruby, also suffered the same condition. Salem, however, for how long the fight went on, seemed to have healed to an extent from consuming the grimm, as her grimm body brimmed with unimaginable power.

"We have to keep going!" Ruby tried to call, but her body refused to obey her commands. She was just too tired, and no matter what happened, she couldn't bring herself to continue.

"Come on!... Move! Dammit!..." Weiss seemed to struggle as well, having no strength to fight either. She cursed and swore at her limp body, which still refused to move, much to her increasing anger.

Blake tried to summon a clone, to help her up. She almost succeeded, but alas, her semblance drew too much out of her, leaving Blake ultimately powerless in the face of annihilation.

And Yang tried to lift the Dust Celica, feeling its actual weight pull her down, seeing as without almost any aura to power the dust, it became nothing more than rock attached to her arm, with herself barely able to move it.

"AND THIS IS HOW IT ENDS" Salem called out, and the mouth opened even wider, as the final preparations for her grand finale took place.

Ruby stood there, expressionless, not sure what to do. Something inside of her told to keep on fighting, and yet, she had almost nothing left. Then, out of nowhere, she realized what she had to do, and rose up with what little strength she had left.

"Ruby... What are you doing?..." Weiss called out to her, but Ruby didn't listen. She already started to channel everything she had left onto her silver eyes, willing to sacrifice health, and even her very life, in hopes of creating a pulse of pure aura strong enough to kill Salem's body, or at the very least stagger it for long enough for her team to finish it off.

"No..." Yang saw as Ruby's aura, or what was left of it, began to go haywire. She gathered what strength she had left, and dashed towards her sister, grabbing her shoulder.

"Yang, get out! Let me do th-" Ruby came to protest, but was cut by Yang's aura, pumping itself into her.

"Shhh. I'm not letting you kill yourself out here for nothing!" Yang called out with resolve. Weiss and Blake came in as well, grabbing to the Dust Celica, letting Yang siphon their combined aura, flowing it into Ruby.

For the first time in her life, Ruby realized what it was like to be the rest of her team. She could feel Yang's caring for the world, and all the living beings inside of it, Blake's desire to protect those lives and guard them, and even Weiss' will, though having little to do with the outside, still had her willingness to love Ruby, and keep her safe. Coupled with Ruby's aura, now refilled with hope, she raised her weapon, and her silver eyes started to flare even brighter than even before.

"FOOLS! THIS CHANGES NOTHING!" Salem shouted this time, with a voice echoing all around them, and the mouth fired, shooting a black beam of death at the group, standing as one.

"NEVER!" Ruby bellowed, and her silver eyes, filled with renewed power, shot out, as she felt a new facet of her power unlock itself. The aura coming out of her eyes, powers by Yang's connection to dust, reacted to the dust tempered metal on Crescent Rose, filling it too with the excess power from her eyes. The blade slowly got encased in Silver light, extending the blade, and Ruby held her weapon tight, prepared to finish the fight, once and for all.

Salem's darkness and Ruby's aura struggled for dominance, constantly switching up on the upper hand. Yang, Weiss, and Blake all hung on to Ruby, fueling her with all the strength they had left, and together, they could feel their auras amplify off of each other, reaching even greater heights. Slowly, it seemed that Salem was the one bound to win, and Ruby pushed on, trying to hold her ground against the overwhelming sludge and pure fear that were shot at her.

"EVERYTHING YOU DO IS MEANINGLESS! THIS WORLD IS MINE TO RULE! YOU ALL A PLAGUE THAT _WILL_ BE EXTINGUISHED!"

This time, Ruby didn't say anything. She simply took her weapon, brimming with all the power she had left, and swung it at Salem's beam, coupled with her already overflowing eyes.

She managed to break Salem's beam, leaving her wide open.

Ruby didn't waste a second, and dashed with all the energy she had left directly at Salem's main body, atop the piles of now decaying ichor and ash. Salem, not giving up, shot all of her remaining appendages at her silver eyed champion, but this time, Yang, Weiss, and Blake, all got in as well, refueled with energy from Ruby's eyes, and cleared out the way.

"THIS IS THE TRUE POWER OF MANKIND!" Ruby shouted, and came directly at Salem.

And she sliced her apart, cutting her from her final form.

* * *

Salem laid on the floor of her altar, motionless. She could feel the remains of her body dissipate, and yet, felt no fear, nor remorse, as Ruby, still alive, came up to her, with Crescent Rose back to it's usual form.

"So... It's over then... for now..." Salem mused.

"And now," Ruby decreed. "I'll make sure you are never coming back."

"Go ahead... Kill this body... You are only delaying the inevitable..." Salem made a menacing gesture with her mouth.

"We'll just have to see about that." Yang came from behind her. "No matter how many times you rise up, we'll always be here, to stop you..."

"And you will have to... I am eternal, formless, and this body is but a tool to me... I will rise again, and once more, the bloodshed will continue... And even without me... The grimm will keep on coming, forevermore..."

"Which is why we are here." Blake stepped in. "No matter where the faunus came from, either you or God or something else. We are here, we have grown strong, and we will never give up, standing as one with mankind."

Salem looked at the forsaken, and another grin filled her face. "Futile... The cycle had already been broken... You can only postpone your fate, but the moment the moon died, your extinction had been sealed..."

"A cycle?" Weiss approached them as well, just getting up. "What cycle?"

Salem now tried to laugh, though with little success, as the last remains of her body crumbled to pieces.

"W-Why... Do-on't you ask y-your h-h-head...mast...er..." She said, and at last, her voice ceased, leaving nothing but white ashes and black ichor behind her.

Team RWBY, escaping by a hair's length, looked at what remained from Salem.

"So... It's finally over, huh?..." Weiss sighed heavily.

"For now, at least..." Yang pat Ruby's back. "Good job, Rubes."

"Well, we are all exhausted, and we still have a long walk home..." Blake pointed. "We should regroup with JNPR and head back."

Weiss was the only one standing silent, as the group began to head back down the half broken stairs. Salem's last words rang loudly through her mind, and for whatever reason, she couldn't shake off the feeling that she wasn't just saying it to fuck with her one last time.

They headed back down, starting to approach the other end, noticing how the night sky began to reveal itself from beyond the blood red. When they reached the bottom, they saw team JNPR, hanging on, as Nora held Red in her hands, and Jaune was sitting next to her and Penny, gently resting. Penny herself, with her aura refueled and her strength restored, seemed to carry some extra supplies, brought from the ship they had on the shores. The group started to head back to Beacon, to celebrate, with Penny making the journey with her flight every once in a while, to get them food and water. As they walked the dragon continent back, the grimm didn't, while still being there, didn't even attempt to attack any of them, leaving the path completely clear from the group to go through, and finally, after two months of traveling on foot, the group reached the shore, where the same boat, now slightly covered with sea-water and animals, and they shooed them off, headed back to New Vale.

* * *

After the relatively short trip, they finally returned home. As they walked the streets, people looked at them with great joy, and some even hailed towards them, whistling loudly and overall having a great time. Honestly, after all the shit they just went through, seeing friendly faces not in immediate danger was something refreshing of sorts, and the eight got swayed easily by the crowds of admirers.

"You know..." Jaune sighed with relief as they boarded a shuttle, heading to Beacon itself. "It's really nice to be able to catch a break from fighting, huh?"

"Sure is." Ruby replied. Something at the back of her mind told her the grimm will come back, and it might not even be long now, and yet, they still had a short time to relax, and she was going to use every second of it.

When they arrived in Beacon, Glynda was the first one to welcome them, practically waiting for the group at the main courtyard.

"You made it!..." She ran up to them, as Qrow and Oobleck joined up soon too. "You all survived!..."

"Well, can't say it was easy, but in the end, we pulled through." Yang remarked. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a loooot of sleep to catch up on."

"And you will be given ample time to do so, Ms. Xiao Long, after we all had a little chat." A voice came from behind Glynda. A voice they all recognized.

"Ah yes! I almost forgot!" Glynda moved out of the way, and the group's jaws fell wide open.

Professor Ozpin was back.


	64. The Mystery Deepens

For the first time in her life, Yang was able to look at Ozpin's aura.

As they walked through the corridors of Beacon, towards what seemed as the CCT tower, and the office in it, Yang couldn't but notice how strange Ozpin's aura was. On the outside, it looked like any other aura out there, but when Yang sharpened her vision, she noticed one, very odd detail: His aura was old. Very old.

Of course, she saw the aura's of old men around her. With age, it was only inevitable that the aura would slow down a little and perhaps begin to wilt, as the person's life force reaches the final stages of life, but in Ozpin's case, the age seemed almost impossible at a first glance. It moved with such elegance and grace, yet barely, that it seemed like it witnessed things much, much more ancient than any of them ever did. Even the aura's regular white color was dimmed gray for him, and from there, and that was only the tip of the iceberg. As Ozpin moved, and Yang tried to stare at him, analyzing his aura, it moved out of the center of her eyes, as though to mask itself from her sight. Yang looked around, and saw that the rest of her team as well had their suspicions.

Ruby was staring at the back of his neck directly. Upon looking at her aura, Yang could see plenty of intrigues, and yet, hints of anger in her soul. Ruby didn't move her eyes from him for even the fraction of a second, trying to study the old professor as much as she could.

Weiss had her usual glare directed at the headmaster as well. Unlike Ruby though, she was mostly angry and vindictive, seemingly seeing him reappear out nowhere like that infuriating, and her aura showed more and more strands of red, coupled with rapid movement.

As for Blake, she was the only one who had glimpses of gratitude in her. Like the others, it was clear that she had some very valid questioned that needed an answer, and yet, somewhere in her soul, Yang could see she was happy another person was still alive after the final fight with Salem.

 _Salem..._ Yang thought to her for a brief moment. The being that directs the grimm and guides them. And yet, it was only her final words that Yang still heard, ringing clear in her ears. _The cycle was broken..._ Out of all the things Salem said to them, this was the one that didn't make any sense in her mind. Was it sheer gloating, or did she have a second plan, Yang had no way to tell. However, seeing Ozpin was now standing before them, Yang had the sneaking suspicion that now she had someone to ask...

For a moment, Ruby turned her gaze from Ozpin himself, and she directed it at her sister, whispering.

 _"What can you tell?"_ She asked as quietly as she could, in order to make sure the headmaster wouldn't hear them. Yang looked at Ozpin as the group got close to the tower elevator, having no more than a few minute's walk left.

 _"Age. Lots of it."_ She said in one, swift motion. For now, Ozpin was too close for her to start explaining everything that passed through her mind to Ruby. Hell, she even started the doubt her own eyes on the matter. Ozpin's soul had so many paradoxes on it, that she honestly was not sure was from what she saw was correct anymore.

"Well, it seems we've arrived." Ozpin finally spoke as they reached the tower basin. "I'll miss the old tower we had here, but for now, this will have to do." He said as he entered, and the two teams followed suit. From there, the ride up was quite silent, no one saying anything, yet for Yang, this was only the calm before the storm. Everyone's auras, expect Ozpin's, were tense as all get out. Beacon falls, and he disappears into thin air, only to come back just when the very driving force of the grimm is gone, at least for now. Sure, it took them at least three months for this entire ordeal, having to travel the entire dragon continent, on foot on the way back no less, but still, a three-month gap just looked at too convenient of a timing, and everyone knew that.

"Come in, please. Take a seat." Ozpin said as the elevator doors opened, and the eight came out, each grabbing a chair, and sitting upon it, very slowly. Ozpin, on the other hand, just walked casually to the desk, and took what used to be Glynda's seat, facing the group.

"So... Glynda already briefed me on the situation involving you guys and what happened to you in the past two and a half years." Ozpin started, and the group nodded.

"So... Now that you are up to speed, mind telling us what have YOU been doing for the past two and a half years?" Ruby cut straight to the chase, questioning him.

Ozpin gave her a little look, and stretched himself in his chair, while smiling gently. "At the fight for Beacon. I was confronted by Cinder Fall directly. The two of us fought, and she managed to get the upper hand, hurting me severely. I went into hiding until I was able to heal this completely, and it took me this long." He said in one breath.

As Ozpin spoke, Yang could, once again, notice some strange mismatching details about his aura: As he spoke, his aura changed, like it obviously should, but not the way Yang expected. Ozpin's soul moved like it was a calculated move, a distraction, only meant to emulate an actual aura's movements when the person is having a regular chat. This led Yang to two options: One, Ozpin's aura really was this damaged and hurt from Cinder, or Two, he was lying to them, and trying to mask his aura accordingly, which would imply he knew about Yang's aura sight ability the moment he saw the Dust Celica. The implications of both possibilities seemed worrisome in her mind, and Yang decided to prod on, trying to figure out what his plan was. She waited as the group discussed Ozpin's situation, and how Glynda relinquished the title of headmaster back to him for the time being, allowing her to focus more of her council duties, before bringing up another question.

"Hey, Ozpin?" She asked out of the blue.

"Yes, Ms. Xiao Long?" Ozpin turned to her, and his aura started to shift again in that bizarre pattern.

"So, about my job here as a teacher..." She brought up the subject, as to both try and get the position back, and push Ozpin into a tight spot.

"Ah yes... Glynda told me you started teaching aura mastery here to the students. I have to say, color me impressed with that arm of yours." He gave her a little recognition, and yet, all that interested Yang was the fact that no matter what he said, Ozpin's aura didn't change even the slightest bit from its loop of motion. At this point, it became evident that she just couldn't read him whatsoever. No matter how she looked, Ozpin's soul slipped away, not letting her get a genuinely good look at it.

"So, I wanted to ask to get that position back." Yang requested. "Now that the final battle is gone, I want to dedicate my time to teaching others what I know."

"That's really kind of you, Yang." Blake complimented her. If you asked her about this two and a half years ago, she could never see Yang going anywhere near teaching, and yet, when she looked at it now, it only made the more sense she did. The Yang that now stood, or rather sat, before her was a new person, both affected by dust and by her friends.

"Thanks Blakey. I've given it some serious thought, and I think it's time I went back to it." She turned to Professor Ozpin again. "So, Ozpin, what do you say?" She asked as the group listened in in anticipation.

"Well, as far as I am concerned, you are more than able to do the part. However, I cannot have a student that did not graduate this school teach here." Ozpin explained. "But considering what you have just gone through, I see no reason not to make you all official huntsmen and huntresses by the end of the school year, along with the other students."

Hearing Ozpin say that made Ruby's eyes glint with a bit of giddiness, that by now Yang could have sworn she long lost, particularly in the war.

"Really? Thanks, professor!" Ruby called with cheer. For a moment, it looked like she calmed down from her suspicions, but mere seconds later, while her demeanor didn't change much, Yang could still see Ruby's aura puzzled beyond belief and wanting of some answers.

"Umm..." Penny opened up her mouth this time. "Do you think I could graduate too? I know I am not like the others, but I still want to do this, as a part of my growth."

"I have no objections." Ozpin agreed. "I talked to your father while you were still away. He is so, so proud of you for coming this far, you know." Ozpin gently smiled, and the conversation continued, dragging on a bit into side topics and the sort.

"Well, as much as I enjoy a good conversation, team RWBY and I still have some other matters to discuss." Ozpin stated, and JNPR got the hint, getting up.

"Well, we'll take our leave then." Jaune gave a small bow to Ozpin out of respect, and he and his team walked to the elevator, leaving the tower and going about their own business. A minute or two after the elevator went back down, and it was evident they couldn't hear what went on in the office, Ozpin's aura changed, going from soothing and tranquil and stern and severe.

"Now, as for your fight with Salem..." Ozpin began, and the mood shifted quite quickly, while Blake gazed to the side.

"What of it?" Weiss asked a bit suspiciously.

"Did she tell you anything once you beat her? What happened there?" Ozpin started bombarding them with questions, and the team filled him on the details of how the managed to defeat her, using their combined aura.

"I see..." Ozpin mused. "So you used your dust arm to channel the auras of your friends into Ruby, giving her enough power to beat Salem, correct?"

"Yes" Yang answered. Something about this exchange felt wrong to her.

 _Ozpin seems way too accepting of the Dust Celica..._ She thought to herself. _Shouldn't he be frightened? Surprised at the very least? It's as if he doesn't see this as strange whatsoever..._

"She also said that the cycle was broken, and that we should ask you about it." Ruby continued, and Yang finally got the single detail she needed to figure Ozpin out: His eyes widened, if not for an instant, while his aura remained the same, barely reacting to it like it should have been. This, coupled with his nonchalant reaction to the fact she had an arm made of literal dust on her, made her certain about his disposition.

Ozpin was lying to them about what happened to him.

She couldn't speak up. Not now. She still had no idea why would Ozpin do any of this, and for what it was worth, she wanted to believe he had his reasons for that. She decided that for now, she would wait, and discuss this with the rest of her team when they were in privacy.

"A cycle, huh?..." Ozpin closed his eyes as he appeared to think, but to Yang, nothing inside of him changed. "Unfortunately, I have no knowledge of such things."

"Well, from what she told us, Salem won't ever die." Blake recalled. "Her body is nothing but a puppet for her to use, and she can rise again."

"I suppose this is plausible." Ozpin agreed. "And yet, I am perplexed as to why she would call me out like this." The rest of the team seemed to believe him on that part, but Yang knew better.

"She also said... That she created the faunus." Blake continued. "That we were made to infiltrate humanity from within and kill it."

"I see... This information could change a lot of things out there. I prefer if we kept it under wraps for now, agreed?" The group nodded. If they told everyone what they knew from Salem, there was a good chance a lot of people would fall into despair, which would only attract the grimm even more.

"By the way, professor?" Ruby just remembered. "What happened to the maidens' powers? Did they come back?"

Ozpin made a stern frown. "I'm afraid not. Ever since you defeated Salem three months ago, no young woman on Remnant seemed to have inherited any of the maidens' essence."

"Good." Yang stated. "That power stains their soul with Salem's darkness. I think it killed them slowly from the inside the more they used it."

"Are you sure?" Ozpin asked her. "That is a pretty big assumption."

"So far, my eyes never deceived me, Ozpin." She gave a hard look with her golden eyes, and the two stared directly at each other, trying to read each other out. "I am quite sure about this matter."

Ozpin didn't reply, and merely took another sip of his coffee.

"There is also the matter of what you did in Mistral." He continued, and turned to Ruby. "The church did quite the number on your reputation. We've tried to calm things down as much as we can, but I'm afraid that many lose their faith in you, Ruby."

On one hand, Ruby was relieved, seeing as the title of the angel was finally removed from her. Alas, some parts of her felt a little sad at this. She had grown quite accustomed to it, and with no one able to know what she did with Salem, there was but a slim chance that the people would just return to following her.

"I believe you know, none of you must ever discuss anything related to Salem with others, correct?" Ozpin asked, and the team nodded in agreement.

"Good. The maiden's secret is out already, and now we have to deal with their apparent permanent absence. You may leave and rest for now, if you want." Ozpin dismissed them, and the group headed out to the elevator as well, heading back to the dorm.

* * *

As the group walked back to the dormitories, Yang suddenly grabbed Blake's hand, and signaled for Ruby and Weiss to follow her as well.

"Come on girls! We should go to New Vale for the time being! I heard there's a new coffee shop that's a must-try!" Yang called out and started to walk in the station's direction.

"Y-Yang!..." Blake didn't even the slightest time to react before being dragged there. Weiss, the first to catch the hint amongst the group, quickly took Ruby's hand as well, as the team changed direction, and after a minute or two, each of them was already well aware of what Yang meant. Whatever she saw in Ozpin's aura, she needed a secluded spot where Ozpin couldn't possibility see them in order to inform the rest. They boarded the nest ship headed to town, and from there, started roaming the city, until finally, the found a small coffee shop standing on the edges of town and ordered something small to eat, after which they took a seat there, getting close to each other.

"So, Yang. What happened?" Ruby asked in her grave tone. "Did you see anything?"

"Ozpin's aura." Yang answered. "The way it moves... I've never even seen anything like it..."

"But what does that mean?" Blake joined in as well.

"I think he lied to us about Cinder, as well as Salem and the cycle." Yang got to the point.

The group stared at her for a couple of minutes in silence.

"But why?" Weiss asked. "What does he have to gain from lying to us?"

"Well, it's not that I could tell he lied." Yang explained. "I couldn't say ANYTHING. I think he purposely moved his aura in such a way that made sure I couldn't be able to tell if he was lying on not, or anything else for that matter."

"But that would imply he knows about your aura vision to such a degree that he can manipulate his own aura around it." Ruby concluded. "And that be possible, unless he's, like, a couple of millennia old."

"Which very well be the case." Yang suggested. "His aura is old, Ruby. So old, in fact, that at the start, I was almost sure what I was looking at isn't even human."

"That... Is very concerning." Ruby replied. "But we still have no idea as to why would he do any of this."

"Hello!" Suddenly, the waitress came to them. "Here's, your, food..." She wanted to come close, but the tense mood around the four was so thick, she could barely stand it, and thus, she just left the food on the table and hurried back into the kitchen.

"Anyway, I'll try and spy on him." Yang decided and the rest agreed. "If there's anything he can't hide from me, it's his physical location."

"Meanwhile, I'll go check out the library." Blake added. "You'll never know what you might find there."

"Good call. Weiss and I will join in as well." Ruby agreed, and the group left some money for the food none of them was even going to touch, and left towards Beacon again, this time with a goal in mind. All the while, Yang was fixated on the old aura standing atop the CCT tower at the academy.

"We will find out what are you planning, Ozpin..."

* * *

From there, the group split, with Yang going on a meditation session while the other three went to the library to try and find whatever they could on the enigmatic headmaster. If he was as old as Yang predicted, there were bound to be some tomes with descriptions of people like him throughout history, and finding those would be the first step toward the truth.

"Hello, Ms. Belladonna. How can I help you?" The librarian greeted Blake as she and the rest of her team approached.

"Hi. I was wondering, do you have any biographies or autobiographies about Professor Ozpin?"

The librarian took a moment's glance at the faunus, and went to her small monitor. Checking the various records of the library.

"Hmm... Unfortunately, we don't have any books of that kind. Sorry."

"I see..." This already raised some red flags for Blake, but nonetheless, she pushed on, and brought up her next query. "Well, what is the oldest history book we have in the library."

Once again, a minute past as the librarian searched.

"That would be 'Records and History Of The Great War.'" She replied, and pointed Blake to the appropriate direction.

"Thank you." Blake and her cohorts went there, and what they found what an old, huge, dusty book, from who knows where.

"Wait a minute." Weiss thought out loud. "She said this is the oldest history book to date, correct?"

Ruby and Blake nodded.

"But we have legends and myths of time much, much older, right?"

Another nod in agreement, followed by the two of them raising their eyebrows in realization.

"You get it now, right? How none of this makes any sense?" Weiss continued. "We have legends that portray the events of times so old none of us should be alive to remember, and yet, the oldest compelling book of historical information, which I will remind you is within Beacon's library, is from about eighty-two years ago."

The other two quieted down and thought.

"But this makes no sense... You'd expect humanity and the faunus to record such major events, not turn them to legends..." Blake pondered out loud.

"Yeah. Like the dragon." Ruby mentioned. "I mean, I know new types of grimm and being discovered almost on a daily basis, which in it of itself is strange, but anyway, as for the dragon, it slept under a mountain not too far off from here. You'd expect that at some point in the past, it would get there, and perhaps cowered by other humans, who would undoubtedly want to record that fight, to make sure others in the future would be able to fight it too."

"It almost feels like we weren't meant to remember..." Blake mused.

"About what?" A male voice came from behind them, and Professor Ozpin stood right there, seemingly out of nowhere, in his usual habit. Even since before the fall of old Vale, Ozpin was known to just, 'appear', in places, without head warning.

"Umm..." He managed to catch them by surprise, and Ruby fumbled trying to come up with a plausible excuse. "We were just talking about some missing details in this book." At this times, she was glad for her experience at crafting speeches and fabricating truths, which was a constant need as the angel.

"Well, from personal experience, I can assure you, Ms. Rose, that looking into the past, while being useful to a degree, is ultimately pointless. In the end, one must strive to look towards the future, and push ever onwards."

"But what if that past contains some paramount truths?" Blake asked him directly. "What if that past is the one thing you need to advance to the future, and yet, it's just, gone..."

"Well, for that I always say: If you can't move in one direction, then just abandon it, and move on to the next idea." Ozpin gave them a small, mysterious smile. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another meeting with Councilmember Goodwitch. She wants to have an election and have someone else take the council mantle now of all things..." He gave them a small bow, and went on his way, heading to the exit.

"Well, perhaps Ozpin is right." Blake thought. "Maybe we should take this in another direction."

Ruby didn't say anything, only gazing at Ozpin's back. Something about the terminology he used rubbed her off the wrong way.

 _Abandon, huh?..._ Ruby examined the word in her mind as she and the other two opened up the book once more, delving into it, trying to find some semblance of a clue that could lead them to what they were looking for.

* * *

Yang couldn't believe her eyes.

She sat on one of Beacon's arches, and gazed at the whole school, fixated on the headmaster. She followed his gray aura to a tee, watching it like a hawk, in an attempt to sense any discrepancy in his movements. While her lover, sister, and Weiss checked out the library for any clues there, it suddenly happened: Ozpin's aura, as well as his body, jumped through space from his office to the library.

She couldn't explain. She knew Ozpin was a huntsman, and a powerful one at that, and yet, seeing him move so fast even Ruby would be jealous was not something she expected.

 _So, what the hell did I just see?_ She asked herself as Ozpin's aura left the library, and shortly after disappeared into nothing. She looked around, trying to pinpoint his location again, when all of a sudden, she noticed him again, this time in the heart of New Vale, from which Glynda ran the council. While the two auras talked to one another, or at least, that's what Yang assumed they did, the questions just continued to pile up.

 _Maybe that was his semblance?_ She considered. It was possible that like her mother, Ozpin had some transportation semblance too, but that idea fell short quite quickly. If he did transport, He wouldn't have left a trail of his aura behind him, allowing Yang to see it. No, what Ozpin did was a direct translation is Space, without any explanation.

"Yaaang!" She heard Ruby call her from below, and she opened up her eyes, only to see her team wait for her to come down. She jumped from the arch, landing on her feet, and turned to the group.

"You talked with Ozpin, right?" Yang asked them, and Ruby proceeded to fill her sister in on the details of what happened.

"That's what he told you?" Yang found it strange too.

"Yes. Did you find anything?" Weiss questioned her.

"Other than the fact Ozpin can apparently teleport, not much." Yang answered, and the group looked at her with confused stares.

"Yeah, I know. I have no way to explain this. He just goes 'boop' and all of a sudden is in an entirely different place altogether."

"But he was just done talking to us in the library." Ruby brought up.

"And now he's on the other side of the MAIN CITY, talking to Glynda." Yang replied. "Which I will remind you is about, what, three hours away from here, shuttle included?"

"So what do you think he is up to?" Ruby wanted to know now too.

"Trust me when I say I have no idea." Yang commented. "But by this point, I have no doubt it's something big. I'll try again at night, see what he does when everyone else is asleep."

"Good call." Ruby joined in. "I'll go inform JNPR about this."

"Wait, Ruby, perhaps we shouldn't. We don't have the same perspective as they do about the battle with Salem, and for what it's worth, I don't want to drag them into this." Yang said. "They earned their rest. This one should be on us."

"Seconded." Blake joined her girlfriend on the matter. "We should be okay on our own. There's no need for extra people."

Ruby looked at Weiss, who seemed indifferent whether they join in or not, and decided to listen to her sister.

"Fine. Then let's finally rest for now, and Yang, you tell us by the morning what you saw with Ozpin, okay?"

"Got it." Yang concluded, and the team proceeded to finally have some of their well-deserved rest.

* * *

That night, the moment Yang closed her eyes and her lucid dream began, she instantly focused all of her attention on Ozpin. For now, he was in the CCT tower, minding his own business at it would seem, and Yang kept vigil on her watch, waiting for him to slip. She didn't care how old he appeared to be, Ozpin was still human, and like many other humans, he needed to sleep, which meant he would have to leave the tower sooner or later.

 _Come on, Ozpin.. Let's see what you do behind closed doors..._ Yang hoped to find something. So far, they had a ton of mysteries, and few answers, if any.

And then, it happened.

Another jump, seemingly into nowhere. Yang looked around Beacon, to find nothing. She turned her attention to the rest of the city, only to find he's not there.

 _Where could he have possibly gone to?_ She asked herself, and widened her view to the rest of Remnant. The auras of the entire world danced before her very eyes, and as much as Yang would have loved nothing more than watch the dance of life and enjoy the show, she had more pressing matters on her hand. She peered at each kingdom, looking for that old soul, when she finally realized Ozpin wasn't on any of them.

 _What?! Where the hell is he?! I don't care how fast he is, no one can just disappear like that!_ Yang frantically searched again and again, applying more and more focus each time. Him instantly jumping from place to place was one thing, but snapping out of Remnant altogether? That was not something she was willing to accept.

 _Come on... He has to be here somewhere..._ She became a bit desperate, and looked up to the sky as if looking for advice.

 _Wait a minute..._ looking at the sky gave her an idea. Sure, it wouldn't make any sense, and yet, this was the last this she could try.

Yang looked down.

She peered through the earth of Remnant, beneath layers and layer of unmined dust, when she saw it: His aura was under them. Far, far under them.

It was faint, sure, but the age was unmistakable, and Yang knew that for a fact. Ozpin was, in a way she could not understand, deep underground, where it shouldn't even be possible. Yang looked again, just to make sure she isn't hallucinating, and indeed, this was the soul of their headmaster buried about thirty feet under.

 _What?..._ Yang thought to herself as the mystery deepened.


	65. The Last Stretch

"He was where?"

Ruby, Weiss, and Blake, still seated in their respective beds, with Blake leaning on Yang, discussed, as they agreed the day before, where Yang saw Ozpin go at night in Beacon.

"I told you: Deep underground. And as usual, I have no fucking clue how he got there, seeing as he can apparently just go wherever he pleases in the blink on an eye." Yang said, a little beefed. She didn't like any of this, and Ozpin only made things worse with his erratic behavior.

"You know what I just realized?" Ruby mentioned up. "He was ALWAYS like this. I mean, what kind of headmaster sends a group of undertrained students to help deal with a terrorist organization?"

"Now that you mention this..." The others started recalling his behavior as well. Ozpin was a mysterious person, sure, but none of them actually gave the thought as to why. As far as they were concerned back then, he was just the old, wise type, which keeps what he knows to himself. But now, after what they saw and fought, none of them was going to have any of it: The disappearance of historical knowledge, his old, ancient aura, the apparent underground location he had, they were going to get to the bottom of all of those things, no matter what.

"So, how do we go on about this?" Blake asked the rest.

"Obviously, espionage and observation." Weiss suggested. "We have to tail him as much as we can, over the ensuing few days, and deduce behavioral patterns. Although, this might prove harder than expected, seeing as who we are dealing with here." Weiss was right in their eyes. Ozpin might be an act, at least on the outside, but he was still a few levels above each of them, at least cunningly.

"Weiss is right, but there's another thing." Yang added. "I have no idea how strong he is. Usually, I might be able to make an educated guess, but not in his case. If this thing goes south, I have no idea if we even stand a chance..."

"Well, we beat Salem, we can take on Ozpin." Ruby concluded. "Plus, we'll have to avoid a fight, if we can. True, Ozpin acts very suspiciously, but we can't just jump to conclusions."

The group looked at each other, trying to keep a relatively calm mood, but the tension was high. They didn't expect others to understand them, but at this point, none of them really understood what Ozpin's intentions were too, which managed to make even Weiss a little nervous.

"Well, in any case, I'll start focusing my meditations on Ozpin, and try and figure something out." Yang said.

"Fair enough." Blake answered. At this point, trying to find any information on Ozpin through books or the internet was kind of pointless, and even beyond that, talking to anyone who knew him like Glynda or Qrow was impossible at the moment, seeing as Glynda was knee deep in the coming elections she planned. While proving herself a very competent leader, Glynda, in her heart, was still a teacher, so none of them were surprised to hear that when things finally calmed down, she decided to step down as council leader of New Vale, with Qrow and Oobleck quickly following suit. Qrow himself hated politics, which were now inevitable aspects of their jobs, and Oobleck, like Glynda, just wanted to teach others. This was, in fact, his very drive in becoming a Huntsman, after all.

"Well, in any case, I'll head out." Yang said, and stepped outside the dorm, headed to her morning ritual.

* * *

Over the next few days, Yang would spy after Professor Ozpin, with the rest of her team trying in interact with him in ways that would move his aura that Yang hasn't seen before. Of course, it kept it's cryptic methodology all the while, but Yang didn't mind. Eventually, she managed to spot out small, yet recognizable patterns in his aura's movements, and even when he seemingly teleported, Yang could now spot a tiny, almost invisible trail, from where he started, to where he was, as though to the world he just walked.

Finally, one of the nights, Yang was spying on Ozpin, as he sat in the CCT tower and worked, and was just about to 'head out' to his little hideaway. This time, though, Yang was not going to let go of his aura this easily, and she was well prepared to sniff him out the moment the man decided to go.

Suddenly, just as she expected, Ozpin vanished and reappeared down below the ground.

 _Gotcha!_ Yang thought to herself, and looked very carefully at the trail he left behind him. This time, she finally managed to see it, if not just for a brief second, and she saw was quite alarming: Apparently, Ozpin just went to the elevator, out of the CCT tower, to where the old CCT tower, and his old office once stood, and from there, he made his descent to the underground. Just like that.

 _So this is how he does it, huh?..._ Yang quickly memorized the path she just saw, and the morning after, she drew the map on a piece of paper, showing it to the rest of the team.

"So, you are saying he just has some hidden stairs there from which he goes to his place?" Weiss asked, a little skeptical. Of all things, in the end it just sounded a little weak for the big reveal.

"Yup. Pretty much." Yang concluded. "Now all we have left to do is just go there ourselves and find out how to get inside."

"Agreed." Ruby consented. "For now, we continued with our days. We'll go there in a few nights, once Yang makes sure it's the same trail, alright?" The team nodded, and began to leave, each for her own business.

"Yang, wait a minute." Ruby called out to her just before her sister could go on with Blake.

"What is it?" Yang was a bit curious.

"I need to talk to you about something private." Ruby explained.

"Ah, I see. Well, don't wait up for me, Blakey." Yang gave her a small peck on the cheek, and Blake left, headed to the cafeteria.

"So, what's on your mind, Rubes?" Yang sat beside her on Ruby's and Weiss' bed, and Ruby explained.

"Do you remember the final battle?"

"Yes. Why?" Yang was a little confused.

"Well, remember how near the very end, the aura from my eyes reacted to the dust in Crescent Rose's blade, and flowed to it through your arm?"

"Vaguely, yes." Honestly, in all the chaos, Yang somehow managed to forget about this little detail, only to be reminded by Ruby.

"Well, I have been thinking, and I think I could replicate this technique, maybe even by myself!"

Yang looked into her silver eyes, and saw Ruby's old, childhood enthusiasm gleam through them, as well as in her aura.

"...What's the catch?" Yang begrudgingly asked, not liking where this conversation was going.

"Welllll..." Ruby drew out her last syllable. Never a good sign. "I miiiiight need a small dust implant..."

"Ruby, no." Yang cut her right there. "I am NOT letting you put dust into your body. You saw on me how dangerous it can be, as well as heard it from Salem herself, and I can assure you that on that one she wasn't lying."

"Yang, please!" Ruby pleaded. "I am not a child anymore, and I have much better control over my aura then I had two and a half years ago! Besides, I don't need much! Just enough to create a smaller nexus for my aura to pass through on my left palm!" Ruby pleaded. Yang looked at her sister's aura, just to be on the safe side, and after considering the matter for a solid ten minutes of silence, Yang got up, and signaled Ruby to come after her.

"Why? Where are we going?" Ruby was curious.

"To beacon's storage and supply hall." Yang answered, and fifteen minutes of walking later, they reached the small, metal door which had a booth on it. Of course, they also had a small workshop in their dorm, with various cleaning and tuning tools, but for what Yang wanted to do, she needed something extra. She knocked on the door, and the hatch's booth opened up, revealing an old, gentle looking male.

"Ahh, if it isn't the Dustmaster! How good to see you!" He gave her a wide smile. "So, what can I do you for?"

"I need some dust crystals." Yang answered firmly.

"Sure thing! Which types?" Meanwhile, Ruby stared at the two, a little annoyed her sister is keeping her in the dark like this.

"One of each." Yang answered.

"Each, type?" The clerk was a bit astonished.

"You got it." Yang smiled.

"Well, you are, or at least were a teacher here..." He mumbled to himself and went to the back, coming out with a small package, which Yang gladly picked from him.

"Thank you! Come on Rubes, we're done here." Yang dragged her sister back to the dorm, where she opened up the package, revealing about a dozen crystals, of all the colors Beacon had to offer.

"Yang, what do you need all of those crystals for?..." Ruby asked as Yang grabbed each crystal, and chopped a tiny piece of each of them, until she handed Ruby twelve small shards of crystal.

"Forge them into one crystal. If you can, I'll help you embed it." Yang explained.

"Why not just use orange crystal?" Ruby wanted to know.

"Won't be as effective. For me, it worked because I needed to trade strength for stability. In such small doses, though, which is the limit of what I'm allowing you to insert, you'll need a much more potent type to cover up for the size."

"Okay. I'll try." Ruby pumped her aura into each piece, until in the end, she felt they contained enough of it, before grinding each of them, leaving a multicolored pile of dust in her left hand. She closed it, and held tight, starting the forging process, and using her aura to apply pressure of the dust from all directions. She was a little concerned about doing this, though. Sure, by now she was forging her own pure-dust ammunition all the time, but still, going about on forging a crystal out of dusts of so many elements, including some opposing elements like fire and water, was a truly meticulous process. One slip up, and she could end up blowing up her own arm, and so, she gave it the utmost care, making sure everything was going as smoothly as possible. Finally, after ten minutes of concentration, Ruby felt the last specks of dust fall into place. She opened her hand, to reveal a petite, silver-colored pearl-like crystal, shining in various colors. The pearl itself was just about the quarter size of a regular crystal, and Ruby looked at her handy work, proud of herself.

"Good job, Rubes. Now, please hand it to me." Yang snickered a little at the unintended pun, and Ruby, while groaning a bit, gave her the pearl.

"Now, your left arm." Ruby lifted her left arm, which Yang grabbed in hers. She took the pearl, and positioned it above the skin of her hand, the two barely touching.

"Now, I'll give you one last chance to back out, Rubes: Once I do this, this embedding is permanent. You will never be able to take this crystal out of your hand. Are you sure you want this?"

Ruby looked at her sister, and gave her a determined look.

"Do it."

Yang nodded, and pressed the crystal against Ruby's skin, pushing it gently, while applying her own aura to both sides. Slowly, Ruby's skin began to glow silver, and the crystal pearl sunk into her skin, bit by bit. Eventually, it was all the way into her palm, and Ruby looked at her hand, feeling the power emanating from it.

"I need to test this." She grabbed Crescent Rose and headed to the amphitheater, Yang following suit.

"You ready?" Yang asked her, as Ruby stood in the center of the empty arena.

"Yeah."

Ruby activated her silver eyes, filling them fill her with power. This time, however, something was different, and she could also feel how the aura flowed through her left hand with much larger intensity.

"LET'S GO!" Ruby called, and directed the aura through her hand toward the dust in Crescent Rose's metal. The reaction was made, and soon, the entire blade of the scythe glowed bright silver as well, while the glow covered the blade itself, and even a little more, extending her range. Meanwhile, Yang sat on the sidelines, watching Ruby give a few swings with her new skill, before returning to normal, subsiding the light.

"Damn Rubes." Yang came towards her, clapping her hands. "That was impressive!"

"Thanks!" Ruby cheered, having a new move to master now.

"You should come up with a name for something as cool as that." Yang pointed. "Can you think of anything?"

Ruby thought for a moment, and nodded in agreement.

"Silverblade." She said, feeling more ready than ever for what was to come.

* * *

At last, the team was ready and prepared to infiltrate Ozpin's little hideout. The team waited until nightfall, and after Yang made sure most people were asleep, the group geared up, and headed out of the dorm, headed to the small courtyard that used to be the old CCT tower of Beacon.

"Okay, this is where Ozpin came down from." Yang pointed to one of the spots on the ground. On first examination, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Just a bunch of regular tiles with no real significance to them.

"Yang, can you do a dust check?" Ruby asked her, and Yang obliged. Putting the Dust Celica onto the ground, Yang closed her eyes and searched for any remains of dust within the ground below them.

"Hmm... I can tell there's something BIG down below, but the tiles here are brand new, and none of them have any dust in them. Sorry guys, I guess this is not going to help us out on this one."

"Let me have a crack at it." Weiss came over and readied her dilation glyph. She forced the color to darken and darken, until reaching a very deep shade of purple, as far as she could take it. From there, having to move as fast as she could to avoid suffocation, Weiss rushed over each tile and systematically pulled each of them out of the ground with Myrtenaster, giving it enough pressure to move, but not make a sound, which anyway would take too long to leave her range. After taking a solid few minutes to finish this take, Weiss stepped back, and canceled her glyph, with bare ground staying behind her.

"Well... I guess that'll do..." Yang shrugged, and the group resumed their search, going over the bare ground now laying in front of them, and checking it for anything that could lead them down.

"Hmm..." Yang focused on her aura sight, searching for Ozpin's trail once more. Looking at the direct spot where she saw him go down, she checked the ground, suddenly discovering a small lever, hidden beneath the earth.

"I think I found something." She got the attention of her team, and the group looked at the gear, now dug a little above ground.

"So... Whose going to pull this thing?..." Yang asked.

"...Cowards." Weiss stepped in, and pulled the switch.

All of a sudden, the ground split before them. The tiles moved out of the way in a disorderly fashion, leaving some wreckage behind, but alas, there was now a staircase leading straight below in front to the four.

"Well, this is it. Everyone, get ready for everything." Ruby put her serious mode on and the group followed her onto the belly of the earth.

* * *

At first sight, what they saw amazed them. After going down the stairs all the way, the group reached a small, metallic door, which after some force from Yang opened up, revealing a grand corridor, all covered with gold decor, a heavy cog motif, and beautiful lighting to flare the whole place with a bright, yet tolerable shine effect. At a glance, they could tell each and every detail was thought out of beforehand, as only an artist could come up with such grace and elegance. Pillars of gold stretched from the sides of the hall, reaching the ceiling, while the floor beneath their feet had a grand pattern of clockwork drawn all over it, as well as lines of dust powered light to the sides.

"Wow... And to think Ozpin had all of this right under our noses..." Yang pondered out loud.

"Anyway, stay on your guard. It may look quiet, but don't forget who are we dealing with." Ruby commanded, and the team took a battle formation, with Ruby on the lead, Blake and Yang on the side, and Weiss as the tail. They walked through the straight corridor, seeing a large door at the very end, being quite a walk away from them. As they got closer and closer to it, Yang suddenly stopped, and raised the Dust Celica, taking a grim expression and opening her mouth.

"You can't hide from me, so just come out already. There's really no point in staying behind those pillars." As she said that, three figures stepped out from behind the pillars Yang pointed at.

"What?!" Blake was a little shocked. "Glynda?! Qrow?! Oobleck?!"

The three councilmen stood before them, weapons drawn.

"Ozpin told us you'd come here today." Qrow started. "Although, I have to admit, he never actually showed this place to any of us. I mean fuck, man, have you seen all this gold?"

"Qrow, we have no time for games!" Glynda scolded him. "I'm sorry. Ozpin said you'd come. He also said that we have to stop you from going further."

"And you're just going to accept this and do what he says, no question?!" Weiss cried in anger.

"We trust him." Oobleck remarked. "Ozpin may be a lot of things, Weiss, but untrustworthy is not one of them. Even if he hides some of the truth, the mere fact he trusted us enough to reveal this hall to us as well shows that he knows he's not alone in this. If you intend on going further, I'm afraid we'll have to stand our ground. He gave us clear instructions: If you choose to advance, we are to knock you four out."

The two opposing groups stood in front of each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. The tension was so dense one could cut it with a knife, and now, the gold hall didn't even distract anyone from the coming strife. Once team RWBY made it quite clear they were not going to budge whatsoever, Qrow sighed, and raised his sword.

"Well, if that's the way you want it, then so be it." He said as he aimed at Ruby, his blade folding down revealing the gun, and he shot several rounds at her, with Ruby quickly dodging all of them, running at her uncle with Crescent Rose drawn. She used her semblance to get behind him, while Oobleck lunged at her with his thermos-mace, which was already flaring, only for Weiss to intervene and block him with a glyph, while both Ruby and Qrow jumped out of the way.

Meanwhile, Yang already filled the Dust Celica with red dust, throwing fire-infused punches at Glynda. Glynda, on her end, simply got out of the way, and used her semblance on one of the cogs attached to the wall. The cogwheel snapped and flew next to her, and Glynda unleashed it at the dustmaster, while Yang redoubled her fist, and while sharpening her fingers into razor, punched right through the cogwheel, tearing it in half.

"Humph!" Glynda made another movement with her crop, and the two halves of the broken golden cog floated back up, throwing themselves at both Yang and Blake. Blake used her afterimages to get out of the way, while summoning two clones to her side, while Yang grabbed the half-cog once more, clutching her fist and crumpled the golden metal in her hand, dropping it to the floor.

"Qrow!" Ruby called at him, and activated her silver eyes, dashing at her uncle with incredible speed. Qrow, knowing he has no chance actually dodging her, pulled his blade to take her head on, and the moment the two clashed blades, he transformed into a crow, and flew away, leaving Ruby staggered a bit, just enough for Oobleck to try and land a direct hit on her hand.

"LEAVER HER ALONE!" Weiss shouted in fury and summoned her armor, taking Oobleck's attack head on. The thermos hit the armor itself, barely making a dent on it, as Weiss readied her blade, prepared to slice the doctor in half, only to be stopped by Ruby's hand in the last second.

"Weiss, please. Don't do it like this." Ruby gently asked her, and Weiss took a short breath, and instead of slicing Oobleck, she gave him a hit with the hilt of the blade, sending him back. In all truth, they had to hold back a little, and even though the three still managed to pose a challenge of sorts, ultimately team RWBY was far too much for only three huntsmen to handle, and the real challenge became beating them without killing them.

"Thanks." Ruby smiled a little before moving on, coming at Oobleck with her speed. Oobleck swung his thermos at her while burning, and Ruby, at the last second, jumped to the air, spinning down on Oobleck. He dodged, with speed you wouldn't expect from a man of his age, only to be confronted by Weiss, slashing her blade at him, as the two got locked into combat.

Yang was just done pulverizing the various pieces of the cog Glynda sent at her and Blake. By now, only small fragments remained, but to Glynda, this was all an advantage, and she controller all of them, flying the small golden storm in the air, aimed at the two. She came to hit Yang, and Blake stepped in, using a group of deterministic clones to block the attack, whilst also dashing at Glynda with her jittering reflections, giving her the strength of several Blakes at once. Just as she came to swing Wilt at Glynda, Qrow intervened, jumping back into human form and blocking her, and from behind Blake, Yang emerged, morphing the Dust Celica into a blade, and clashing against her uncle as well.

"So now you use blades TOO?" Qrow flew back and landed in some distance from the two, while Glynda used her semblance on herself to start and levitate, giving her more mobility, while Qrow rattled his blade, and the cogs in the middle began to spin, transforming it into a scythe. Oobleck, noticing the two are going all out, took a good, long sip of his coffee, and began to twitch from all the caffeine.

"Ruby! SWITCH!" Yang called to her sister, and Weiss and her dashed to Yang and Blake's location, taking on Glynda and Qrow, leaving the other two to deal with the now caffeinated Oobleck.

Qrow and Ruby rushed against each other once again, scythe user against scythe user, while Weiss went ahead to face Glynda. Qrow came from above, using her semblance to quickly change the direction of his attack, forcing Ruby to call upon her silver eyes, to be able to react in time to his moves. The moment she did this, however, she noticed something else: His aura. It wasn't as potent as Yang's aura sight, seeing as she both controlled her own aura to make sure the dust pearl in her hand would stay there and not melt into her bloodstream, and even then there was barely any dust in there to begin with. Nonetheless, the boost, for as small as it was, was greatly appreciated, and with the silver eyes already hastening her thought process, Ruby was now able to dodge her uncle's attacks, while keeping him on his toes and retaliating in kind. Qrow came from the side, and Ruby, seeing him coming, spun in place, hitting Qrow directly, and blowing him away.

"Puh!," Qrow stood up, and looked at his niece with a cocky grin. "Not bad, kid, you got a long way from the girl I trained in Signal." Ruby smiled as well, and the two resumed their fight.

Weiss was on the defensive this time around. With Glynda's almost literal cloud of sharp objects flying around, there was not much room for her to strike back. Glynda raised her crop, and some of the gold pieces clustered together, creating an improvised spear, which she sent at Weiss. Weiss, without a second glance, slashed the spear apart, only for it to reform behind her and come at her back. Weiss, however, wasn't fooled, and used her glyphs to go airborne momentarily, both avoiding the attack and closing the gap between her and Glynda. She loaded a light blue crystal, fueling her with ice, and she threw the knight's blade forward, sending a shockwave of frost at Goodwitch, who was struck and froze in place. Just as Weiss came to strike her, Glynda broke the ice with pieces of the golden cog, and hovered back. This time, though, Weiss was not going to let her keep the distance, and she opened her heart wide, calling upon the knight's blade's full form. Now, still fueled with the ice crystal, Weiss dashed at Glynda, swinging wildly, and at last, managing to hit her, Sending Glynda against the wall, unconscious. "Glynda's down!" Weiss shouted as she ran to help Ruby deal with Qrow.

As for Yang and Blake, Oobleck proved far more annoying than expected. His coffee only made him faster and more erratic, with his aura moving all over the place, so much so Yang had a bit of a hard time following it. Nevertheless, she kept at it, and when Oobleck got close to her and shot a torrent of fire from his thermos, she already knew where her about to come from, and ducked, punching the ground at the same time and sending a shockwave all around her, knocking back both Qrow and Oobleck. Blake jumped in as well, and in an attempt to retrain Oobleck down, she started manifesting clones and sending them at him, grabbing onto the doctor and pinning him to the floor. Oobleck, alas, did not intend to go down easily, and went on his small rampage, taking out many of Blake's clones on the way, but in the end, he was overpowered by their sheer numbers, and was pushed down to the floor, with Yang coming to him and giving a blow to the head just hard enough to knock him out, and not kill him.

At the same time, Ruby was dueling Qrow, each of them using their scythe all the way. In a way, at this point, the two of them focused less on what was to come, and just enjoyed the fight against each other, student against master.

"Well, kid, I think it's about time we ended this!" Qrow called, and transformed into a crow, getting some momentum from his flight, before turning back, dashing at Ruby directly.

"You got it!" Ruby called on her eyes, filling her with power, and she ran too towards him, readying Crescent Rose for one final blow against the man who trained her in the art of scythe-wielding.

The two shouted at the top of their lungs as the two flashes, one red with rose petals and one gray and red, passed through each other, leaving the two warriors on the other side, with their scythes in their hands. Suddenly, it was Qrow that keeled over, and fell on a knee, while Ruby looked at him.

"Huh... Not bad, kid..." He whispered before losing consciousness as well. Before he could hit the floor though, Ruby caught him, and laid him down gently, making sure he wasn't too hurt.

After the group had some rest, restoring their aura, they finished their stride to the end of the long, golden hall, and stood in front of the humongous doors, stretching to the very edges of the corridor, far bigger than the team.

"So..." Yang started at the doors, and stopped. "Do you really think we are ready for this? Considering what just happened, I have a feeling a fight with Ozpin would be inevitable."

"Yeah." Blake replied. "I hate to do this, especially with someone like him, but Ozpin's actions leave us no choice. We have to see this through."

"It doesn't matter whether he deserves this or not." Weiss added. "He wanted to mess with us, well now the storm is coming, Ozpin. And I hope you're ready."

Ruby took a look at her team. They were all ready for this, she just knew it.

"Well, I want to end this, once and for all. The truth must come to light." She approached the doors, and put her hand on one of them. "Are you all ready."

Taking a quick glance, each of them nodded back in anticipation.

"Then let's finish this, once and for all."

She pushed on, and opened the doors.


	66. The Truth, Part 1

The group entered a grand, round hall, overlaid with gold and cogwheels like the hall before it. In the middle, Ozpin stood, tempering with a keyboard of sorts, before hearing the footsteps come in, and turning to the group, as the doors closed behind them and the keyboard lowered down to the floor, merging with it and getting out of the way.

"So... You finally made it..." Ozpin said as he gazed at the group, while holding his cane.

"Made it?" Ruby asked, reaching with her hand for Crescent Rose. "You say it like you wanted us to be here."

"..." Ozpin didn't say anything to deny her, and only stared at the group, a firm expression forming on his face.

"No..." Yang said as she looked at his aura. Right now, Ozpin no longer masked his aura's movements, and she could see them clear as day. At that moment she knew.

Ozpin was not going to hide anything from them now.

"So, why?" She asked him. "Why mask your aura? Why bring us here?" The rest of her team looked at her, and turned to the old headmaster, who didn't move an inch.

"...Because I needed you here." Ozpin answered after a short while. "I needed you here so that no one could interfere."

"And yet, you called out Glynda, Qrow, and Oobleck." Weiss remarked. "So much for the privacy."

"They were a final threshold, to see if you were really willing to go all the way." Ozpin explained. "If you were to back down there, I would have forgotten all about it, and let you be. Alas, you have decided to uncover my work, and for that, I cannot allow you to leave now." Ozpin started to pace towards the group, and by now, each of them already had her weapons drawn, ready for his first move. All of a sudden, Ozpin vanished, and reappeared behind Yang, hitting her on the back with his cane, sending her flying across the room. She staggered up, and gave him a fierce look, as the rest of team RWBY darted to a different part of the hall, getting away from Ozpin.

"What?!" Yang shouted. "But I saw you be-"

"You saw me, because I let you see me." Ozpin dashed at her, this time at a visible speed. He shot his cane forth, at impeccable speeds, and Yang, barely able to recognize his movements through his aura, barely managed to dodge him, as he hit her several times.

"Yang!" Blake dashed forth, both blades in hand, as she called several clones of herself, while condensing a few more to her location. She crashed against Ozpin, who vanished again, and this time, appeared next to Ruby, prepared to drive his cane against her head. She reacted faster than her sister, and activated her silver eyes, evading the attack, and coming back at Ozpin with a full swing, which he easily managed to avoid, as he kicked her back.

"You!..." Weiss was already headstrong into the offensive, with her armor donned, throwing several slashed at the headmaster, while unleashing elemental blasts all the while. Ozpin moved faster than she anticipated, getting out of harm's path each time, while retaliating and striking Weiss several times, throwing her off too.

"How?..." Ruby thought to herself as she dashed at Ozpin again, with the rest of her team coming to her aid, while Ozpin stood in the center of the room. They each threw her weapon at him, while Ozpin simply disappeared again, and tapped his cane on the floor from where the doors were.

"Stop." Ruby held her team back. "This is pointless for now." She then turned to Ozpin with a grim expression. "How? How are you this fast?"

Ozpin looked at her, and grinned.

"Well, since I cannot allow any of you ever to be leaving this place again, I suppose keeping secrets from you would be quite rude of me." He said, as he stopped time, and approached Ruby, appearing right in front of her.

"My semblance, Ms. Rose, is Chronomastery."

Just from the name, team RWBY was able to deduce quite quickly what he meant by that.

"So... control over time, then..." Yang looked at him, and a few pieces of the puzzle fell right into place in her mind. This was why she couldn't see Ozpin move: He was stopping time, and thus, left no trail behind him.

"So, are you going to tell us what was the deal with Salem and the cycle?" Ruby asked.

"I am sorry for lying, but it was a necessity. At first, I thought I could restore it without getting you involved any more than you already did. Then, when you started sniffing around, I realized I had no other choice, and for that, I am sorry." Ozpin's voice almost had a tone of regret in it, and not quite. When Yang looked, she could see that Ozpin's aura was well beyond the point of feeling guilty.

"Restore what?" Blake intervened.

"The cycle." Ozpin came to explain. "The cycle that kept humanity alive for as far as I have been directing it. It had many iterations throughout time, but the formula is the same."

"Wait..." Yang had to know. "Ozpin, how old ARE you."

Ozpin stared at her, and cleared his throat.

"I am five thousand, eight hundred, and seventy two years old."

The number was staggering for them to grasp.

"So, your aura..." Yang started.

"Yes, though it is not a side effect of my semblance, at least not directly." Ozpin sighed.

"And what about the cycle." Blake insisted. "What did you do?"

"..." Ozpin took a minute, before answering. "Before I tell you, you have to know that I have done everything in my power to avoid this. Alas, this is the only way to ensure the successful continuation of mankind, and the faunus, once they have joined our population." The group lowered their weapons for now. "I will tell you my life's story. You at least deserve to know the truth after all you went through."

They quieted down, and Ozpin began his tale.

"It took me a long time to realize this." Ozpin started. "But it all began when I discovered that very force that keeps us alive. Once I knew what it was, and what was its nature, I knew that in order to maintain it, I would have to perpetuate a loop. A loop in which the same conditions that created it would repeat, and keep it strong. Alas, my journey was not to be an easy one: The grimm and Salem with her, made every attempt possible at decimating the human population of the time. But we had one, major weapon, that could help us in this fight."

"The silver-eyed warriors..." Ruby murmured.

"Correct, Ms. Rose." Ozpin gave a small smile. "The silver-eyed warriors were powerful. They were what we needed. And they had what it took to be able to kill the grimm without much trouble. When it all began, I believed their existence was the one thing what could keep us alive, forever, like many others of my time. Alas, this was not to be, and it was the first point in history that mankind truly came face to face with extinction."

"Why? What happened?" Blake wondered.

"The grimm came, more powerful than ever before. They overpowered us, tore us apart, and in the end, my semblance manifested, allowing me to combat them on the same level as they did with us. From that point, the proud lineage of the silver eyes almost vanished completely, only for a small handful to survive. Overnight, the clan became pariahs. People scorned them, for bringing such a terrible fate on men, and before I knew it, inquisitions began, hunting them down. When I caught wind of it, I was only able to save one, single child from the fires and brimstone, but the damage was already done, and the silver eyes became nothing more than a bad omen for mankind."

"But the way people see me..." Ruby wondered.

"That, is my doing." Ozpin continued. "My control over time, and my tempering with it, brought this affliction upon me, slowing my aging process considerably. The same child that I managed to save grew before my eyes, and went on to make her own family, creating another silver eyed child. As time passed, I realized that if I were to do nothing, the tragedy that befell us would simply repeat itself, perhaps even harder, and so, I did what I had to do, and used all of my power to burn and destroy every piece of evidence of the tragedy that took place all those years ago. In time, that story became a legend amongst the people, but my work was already done, and by the time more silver eyes were brought into the world and the generations passed, no one hated them any longer, giving us another chance against the darkness. Or at least, so I thought."

The group stared at him, speechless, as Ozpin recalled his life story.

"After a while, the same thing happened again: Mankind, boasting about the power of the silver-eyed warriors, became too stagnant and mellow, and the grimm attacked again, creating more havoc and chaos. That's when it hit me, and the next time the blame shifted to the silver eyed clan, I acted first, and, while saving one child, I burned the rest of the history about the silver eyes, making them vanish into obscurity once more."

"Then you let the rest DIE?!" Ruby shouted. "How COULD you?!"

"Because saving them was only going to doom us further." Ozpin calmly retorted. "We still needed the silver eyes, to make sure we can fight on against Salem, but having them survive around for too long, and they only brought ruin in their wake. That's when I made my resolve: I was to use my prolonged life to propagate a cycle in which a silver eyed warrior would go on and defeat Salem, holding her back for the time being, while making sure they would have to sacrifice themselves against her. I, at the same time, would burn the tales they left behind on their journey, never letting them become more than a myth not many have heard of. In time, the cycle evolved, and I realized that in order to create the perfect silver eyed warrior, I would need to instigate a tragedy under my control, big enough to drive them forward, but small enough to ensure mankind was able to go on, even with the loss."

"Then... My mother..." Ruby began to tear up a bit. From all that Ozpin just said, she was fixated on that simple truth.

"Ah yes. Summer..." Ozpin mused over the last champion. "At first, it was Summer's duty to defeat Salem in this cycle, but alas, she perished before being able to complete her role, forcing me to rely on you, Ruby." Ozpin turned to her.

"THEN WHAT WAS SHE TO YOU?! JUST A PEON?!" Ruby flared her silver eyes, and charged at Ozpin again in rage. Ozpin stopped time, and got behind her, pinning Ruby to the ground with his cane, with just enough force to make sure she couldn't move, but not hurt her.

"Not a peon, Ruby." He said her name directly this time. "A champion. It brought me great pain, having to send them one by one on their journey, but the centuries past, I became quite hardened to this act. So far, humanity survived and flourished, and everything was well."

"S-So... Me surviving was a flaw in your plans?" Ruby snarled at him.

"To a degree, yes, but this was not something I couldn't overlook." Ozpin resumed. "It happened, on occasion, the silver eyed warrior was able to survive Salem's wrath, and it was quite the joyous sight witnessing it. I could just restart the cycle with their death after the next child is born." He then turned to Yang. "What I cannot foresee, however, was you."

"Me?" Yang looked a bit surprised. "Why me?"

"Because," Ozpin pointed with his cane at the Dust Celica. "You were the one unknown variable this cycle that changed everything. Your job was over, your duty finished, being one of the drives that were to push Ruby forward, along with Ms. Nikos." At that moment, Ruby flew into another frenzy.

"YOU KNEW?!" She shouted this time. "YOU COULD HAVE PROTECTED HER, AND YOU DID NOTHING?!"

"All part of the cycle." Ozpin continued. "I was tragic, to force her hand like that, but it had to be done to make sure the journey started. I had to let Cinder believe she could overpower me, and from there, head here, and wait until Ruby's aura vanished from Salem's continent, and then, until the people of Remnant would forget about me completely. When I saw her return, I realized he had managed to survive, and came outside. Glynda filled me in on everything that had happened, and I learned of you, Ms. Xiao Long."

"..." Ruby couldn't say anything, and fell silent, as Ozpin kept her on the floor, her rage going out of control.

"Wait," Yang stepped in again. "You said my duty was over, and yet, here I stand."

"I did not expect you to uncover the secrets of dust like you did." Ozpin got back on track, as though any of the things he said before mattered little to him emotionally. "With time, I began to realize a flaw in my cycle: While I rid Remnant of the stories of the silver eyes, I let it keep the rest, in which many other pieces of history, dangerous to the cycle remained. Thus, my cycle became two-fold: On one end, I would create the next silver eyed champion, and send them to battle Salem and halt her, and on the other, I would play the role of the villain, burning away the history of Remnant, until nothing more than legends remained. With my extended life, all I had to do was just wait until people would have forgotten about me, and reemerge as a new person each time, into a Remnant that did not know me."

"Then, the war with Atlas... The battle for Vale..." Yang mumbled.

"I had to be passive enough to make sure James was to become the head of security for the Vytal festival, and from there, aggravate things to the level that would force him to declare war later on. After Ruby, finding nothing in Mistral, would come back to Vale, she would have no other choice but to abandon her childhood, and embrace her gift and power, leading the people against him. However, once again, your interference brought another catastrophe that I could not account for."

At this point, Ruby finally managed to calm down.

"The moon..."

"Quite." Ozpin, seeing her composed, pulled up his cane, letting Ruby up and rejoin her team. "With Ironwood's death, the moon, and with it an important part of the cycle that took me thousands of years to perfect, were shattered. Even further than that, the powers I stole from Salem all those years ago have been returned to her, and now, I must improvise if I want to keep humanity alive for much longer."

"Which is why you can't let us leave." Weiss concluded. "We know too much to be left unchecked."

"It brings me no joy to do this, Weiss." He came to say her last name, only to rescind himself at the last second. "But I cannot have another person with the ability to see auras walking around Remnant. I have to keep these details hidden from the world, if I want to ensure the force that keeps us going still lives on."

"Another?" Yang blinked at him for a brief second, before her eyes shot wide with the realization. "You too?"

"For over four millennia now." Ozpin admitted. "it was not easy, but I was able to use my semblance to halt the advancement of dust through my body, allowing me to keep my flesh intact all this time."

"But... The truth about the faunus..." Blake brought it up.

"...I remember when the first faunus came." Ozpin recalled. "They were wild, ferocious, and yet, in them, I sensed a hint of nobility and pride, not related to their creator. I encouraged the people to take them in, and thus, brought a new variable to the cycle, thinking this was another key instrument is Salem's permanent demise. Unfortunately, in that cycle, her armies only intensified, and in order to be certain that no one was able to recall the faunus for what they were and hurt them further, I deleted their origins from history as well, letting them blend into society as time passed, safe from most of the prejudice, though traces of the hatred from the past remained."

"But why do all of this? What is that driving force that kept everyone going?" Ruby wondered.

"Is it not clear?" Ozpin asked them, and gave a faint smile after he saw none of them answered.

"Hope."

The group stared at him for a solid minute in total silence.

"What?" Ruby wasn't quite sure she understood.

"I said, Hope." Ozpin repeated himself.

"But isn't that kind of obvious?" Yang was a little dumbfounded about the matter. "We were always told that fear and negativity draw in the grimm, and hope keeps them at bay."

"I think you misunderstood." Ozpin clarified. "I meant that in the more literal way than you think."

The group returned to silence, no one sure how to react to that.

"You lie." Weiss decreed. "This is rubbish."

"Is it, now?" Ozpin asked. "Tell me, how many times have you been in a battle, almost out of aura and helpless, when the only thing keeping you alive was your hope that you can pull through, that you can prevail. And just in the nick of time, when everything seems lost, you decide out of nowhere to not give up, and push your body beyond its limits, giving you the strength you need to be able to succeed in places where you should have been dead."

They thought about it, and yet, none of them could deny his words. In a way, throughout their lives, this had happened to them. It happened to Ruby when she fought Cinder; it even happened to Penny when she rose up and stood against Ironwood. It even happened when the four of them faced Salem together, and managed to kill her body while surviving to see the day after.

"This is the reason the silver-eyed warriors were so important." Ozpin brought to light. "They gave the people hope that the grimm could be destroyed, and that true peace could come. However, as much as Hope is a blessing, it is also a curse in disguise, as I have come to learn in all my time in this world: Keep it alive, and mankind would flourish, and be strong. Keep it alive for too long, however, and it becomes stagnant, taken for granted, and eventually, replaced with pride and hubris. And in hubris, wars erupt, and the grimm come."

"..." Once again, none of them was able to say anything against him.

"In the end, I had to keep humanity's hopes up, while also killing that hope periodically, and burning history away, so that the same discoveries could be made each time, bringing Hope with them." His voice quieted down, and his lowered his head. "It may sound vicious to you, but this is the only way, or at least it was, before the moon fell."

"And what of the moon?" Ruby asked inquisitively. "Why was it so important?"

"Because the moon stood as a testament to those who faced Salem in the past." He raised his head, staring directly at her. "The people of the silver eyed clan had one power, that the rest of Remnant couldn't do: They could pour their aura out of their eyes directly onto the world around them. During the second iteration, when I was still a fool, the grimm nearly came upon us. As a last resort, many of the silver eyed clan came together, pouring their auras into a condensed spot, sacrificing their lives to create an entity of pure aura, which would serve as a silent guardian for the people of Remnant." As he spoke, sparks of revelation started to form in Yang's eyes. "The orb they made hovered into the sky, becoming a white beacon of Hope for the people. Of course, in time, I realized that knowing about it was too dangerous for the good of everyone, and I had to erase the knowledge of the moon's true origins and purpose from history as well."

"So that's why I was able to see the moon so clearly..." Even before Yang's aura sight melded into her senses permanently, especially during the war with Atlas, when it took her over, the one thing she was still able to see was the moon, and it's bright radiance. In a way, she could feel it watching over them, protecting them from harm, which only made more sense now.

"The moon stood as a guardian, but also as a backup plan." Ozpin said. "To those who had enough Hope in their hearts, the moon would answer their call, and give them it's aura, allowing them to push on against all odds. It was quite the welcomed sight, after so many cycles of needless deaths."

"But it was shattered..." Ruby pondered.

"The moon was connected to all the people of Remnant, either hopeful or malicious." Ozpin revealed. "Eighty-two years ago, part of the last cycle's history burning stage, I unintentionally went too far in my role, and the moon cracked under all the fear and hate mankind had for each other at the moment. In my panic, I made sure to remove the correlation from historical records, and yet, for all my planning, the efforts my friends, my family..." Ozpin's voice became colder and distant. "Still brought to nothing."

They stared at him, speechless. None of them had any idea these were the things Ozpin had to deal with, all throughout his life, and in the way he spoke, they could tell it was a very personal matter to him.

"So this is why we can't leave, right?" Ruby asked. "Because Yang, Blake, Weiss and I know too much about the world already."

"Yes." Ozpin said in one, swift motion. "But I am not cruel or bloodthirsty. I have lured you here, and posed one last challenge in your path, to see if you are truly going to see this through, forcing my hand. And yet, I will give the choice once more: Stay here, permanently, and fade into obscurity. This is the only way to continue towards Remnant's future."

"And what of the silver eyes?" Ruby wanted to know.

"I will take a DNA sample from you, and splice it into a newborn child, recreating the silver-eyed warriors. Usually, I had to make sure they left an offspring behind, but after Summer's unfortunate failure to defeat Salem, her forces only grew stronger, leaving me with little options but to take you into Beacon, and train you as much as I could before setting you on your journey."

Another awkward silence passed.

"And now, you know the truth." Ozpin concluded. "With this in mind, I have to know: Will you still push on? Will you still fight me, in order to leave this place?"

The group looked at each other, before each of them locked gazes with the old man.

"Yes." Yang nodded. "What you have done may have been for the good of the people, Ozpin, but in creating this cycle, you forced the world to stop changing. Even if you made small differences here and there, this, unchanging life you wrought upon Remnant remained." She raised the Dust Celica. "If you have dust in you as well, then tell me: Can you not see the damage you've done to the world? Nothing can stay the same forever, Ozpin, no matter how hard we try to deny it."

"I'll admit that what I have done was not without consequence." Ozpin debated. "But in the end, it was all for the greater good. In my cycle, humanity managed to survive, and flourish, while still not losing themselves to the grimm."

"But at what cost?" Yang continued. "You hurt everything around mankind to make sure mankind lives on. Even the grimm are a part of this world, something I came to realize against Salem, and for what it is worth, they may be our enemies, but we mustn't shy away from paying them the respect they deserve as those who came before us. Burning away history is not the way to ensure the future will go on."

"The end justifies the means." Ozpin persisted.

"Not like this." Blake interjected. "The people deserve protection. True safety, not bound by the deaths of others. What you have done is accomplish little in the face of history. If anyone has to die in order to allow others to live on, not by their choice, it is a fake sacrifice, and I will not abide by this."

"But can you not agree that more and more people survived? What of all the faunus and humans that I helped keep alive?" Ozpin questioned her.

"And yet, you made sure no one would remember who the faunus were in the past, and wiped them from history. This only brought forth another form discrimination and hate, and although you managed to avert the grim end of the faunus at the beginning, the long term still brought with it nothing but suffering and strife. All the faunus wanted was to be accepted into the world with the humans, but your cycle took away the one thing they had to cling on in order to identify themselves." Blake felt a surge of determination shot through her. "This is not the right way, to keep everyone trapped in an endless cycle. To make sure no one will ever actually understand what they are fighting for."

"And the other way would only bring war, chaos and destruction on a global scale." Ozpin debated. "Without the cycle, Hope would die out even faster the before."

"Not necessarily." Ruby opened up her mouth this time. "True hope comes no matter what happens to you. If you were honest about the truth and revealed it to the people of Remnant, they could have used this information only to grow stronger and thrive. No one is really hopeful here anymore, they all just repeat the same mistakes of the past, over and over, never allowed to see into the future and realize their potential."

"Truth wasn't working." Ozpin demanded. "If I told them these truths now, what would that accomplish? What would it bring them, beside misfortune and suffering?"

"A new kind of Hope." Ruby suggested. "A king of Hope that would live on, and never die out to the mistakes of history ever again. What you have done is recycle the same kind of Hope, and blinded the people around you to what they should really fight for."

"Then what should they fight for?" Ozpin wondered.

"What they believe in." Weiss finally had enough of her silence. "They should be able to find their own kinds of Hope, like I did my will, and be able to decide their own fate in the world."

"And what of others? If this were to happen, it would only instigate more conflict amongst men, as they war and fight for petty beliefs, and the grimm descend upon them."

"If mankind truly wishes to survive, they would know where to draw their own lines." Weiss commented. "I, for one, discarded Hope. Completely shut myself out of it. And in its absence, I found there is a lot more to us then Hope alone. I found that with my force of will and determination, I can fight on, and push myself ever forward, without having to rely on others. Besides," She raised Myrtenaster at Ozpin's direction. "You planned on killing my Ruby. I can't take this sitting down, and I will protect her, for her and mine's sake."

Ozpin took another long look at team RWBY, now standing before him. Each of them was now filled with resolve, Hope and Will, and it was evident what no matter what he said next, there was no other way, and they would not let up so easily. Each of their auras burned as brightly as ever, with the same glints of light he saw within them, and many others, when they first became students at Beacon, and the many other iterations of huntsmen, going by plenty of different names, that he saw and trained throughout his life. Ozpin raised his cane, as it began to glow radiant green, facing the group.

"Then this is it. There is no peaceful way I can convince any of you to stay here willingly."

Ruby, in response, raised Crescent Rose, and let her eyes glow silver. "I'm sorry, Ozpin, but this can go on no longer. The people need a new Hope, and the moon can't always be there to save us."

"Then I am truly sorry for this." Ozpin muttered, and vanished.

All of a sudden, he appeared before Ruby, coming to strike her from behind, when both Yang and Weiss rushed against him, Weiss blocking his cane and Yang coming to punch him. Ozpin, of course, stopped time just before she hit him, and stepped away, clutching the handle of his cane, releasing some of the dust hidden inside. The dust glowed green, and Ozpin resumed time, sending a jolt of lightning at the group. As he did this, he felt the dust in his body start to run rampant again, only to be suppressed once more by his semblance and aura, kicking in to keep him alive. He still wanted to give team RWBY an honorable chance at fighting him, but in the end, he had to finish this before running out of aura. There was no telling what could happen to him if he ever truly burned through it in its entirety.

Ruby used her silver eyes to negate the thunder, and Weiss loaded her own green crystal into Myrtenaster, filling the entire armor with green light, absorbing the rest of the damage done to her, while sending it back at Ozpin. Ozpin shifted his stance, and this time, he became even faster, dashing through the round hall with ease, coming directly at Yang, only for Blake to cover her with clones, protecting her partner from Ozpin's attacks. She waited for an opening, and launched the Dust Celica forward, shape-shifting in into a blade on the way, forcing Ozpin, who was not surprised in the least from her skill, to run around her, this time heading to Blake's position, and Ruby, with her semblance, pushed him from the side, while Weiss readied her dilation glyph, willing to take Ozpin on at his own game.

"Dilation, huh?..." Ozpin thought out loud, and built up his own aura to counteract that. "If I recall, it came to be when your ancestors saw me using my semblance to slow down time, and tried to imitate it with their own. I am glad to know they reached so far."

Weiss huffed. "Then let me show you the power of my will!"

She conjured the glyph, just as large as the room, and the color darkened in rapid succession. From white, to red, to orange, to yellow, and so on, until reaching vibrant purples. But Weiss didn't let on, and pushed herself further, until she was on the very edge. With all she had, she broke through the last mental barriers on her mind, and the glyph turned pitch black.

At that moment, time all but stopped for everyone besides her. All, expect Ozpin, who, while still being slowed down considerably, already started to move against her. Weiss didn't spend a second, and ran against him, with her blade drawn. She couldn't keep this up for long, and she could already feel her lungs scream for air. Ozpin, at this point, was moving as he normally would have in regular time, and the two clashed against each other, cane VS sword.

"You have to let this up." He spoke to her while the two traded blows. "If you keep going, you could suffocate."

"..." Weiss wanted to throw something back at him, but she no air left to speak. In all of this chaos, he somehow managed to find the capacity to care for her and warn her about the flaw of her own attack. Alas, Ozpin was right, but Weiss was not going to let him off that easily, and dragged him to the center of the room, where she knew Ruby last saw the two. In an instant, she undid the dilation glyph, and created a smaller one to throw her away from Ozpin, as Ruby came at him with all of her speed, while Weiss caught her breath.

"Weiss!" Yang rushed to her side, and placed the Dust Celica on her chest, healing her minor injuries from her own technique. Once she was done, while Blake and Ruby kept Ozpin at bay, she helped Weiss up, who promptly summoned her armor once more.

"...Thanks." She finally opened her mouth, and the two came to the aid of their teammates. Blake was circling Ozpin from all directions, while Ruby swung her scythe at him over and over. Ozpin had to be careful, his aura was running low, and once more, the dust in his heart area vibrated, forcing him to devote more aura to keep it under control, disabling him from his time-freezing move. Yang jumped, some of Blake's clones giving her a boost, and she came crashing at Ozpin, the Dust Celica forward, and from there, she switched it up, and threw several punches at him, both the Dust and Blaze Celica's radiating with her aura. Ozpin, seeing Yang's aura and moving accodingly dodged each of her attacks, with skill that she could only wish to have. In the end, Ozpin's sheer age and time with dust implants brought him the upper hand, and Yang found it night impossible to strike him, even once.

"Yang!" She heard and sensed Blake's aura coming from behind her. And she jumped upwards, as Blake dashed in, with both Gambol Shroud And Wilt in both hands. She came to stab Ozpin, only for him to dodge, and Blake to jump too, leaving a sentient Clone in her wake, which also started attacking Ozpin, while Blake and Yang began to chug fireballs and shoot at him, respectively. From there, Blake activated her semblance once more, leaving yet another clone that repeated her attacks, and she kept on doing this, increasing the pressure on the headmaster more and more. Ruby intervened, and flew around, some of Blake's clones giving her an anchor with Gambol Shroud's bow, and she tried to crash into Ozpin with her scythe, while he pressed the handle on his cane again, and loaded it with green dust, blocking Crescent Rose directly, while shocking Ruby slightly as the electricity passed through the cane onto Crescent Rose and it conducted it right to her. However, Ruby activated her silver eyes, and with the dust pearl in her left hand, she redirected the shock back into the metal, and swung the changed scythe once more, this time managing to knock Ozpin back, right for Weiss to come at him with another glyph, and brown blade and armor. She jump attacked him, which prompted Ozpin to get out of the way, and she hit the group wrecking the gold floor and the cogwheel motif on it to shreds, while not even stopping, and running in his direction.

"Let's end this!" Ruby, Blake and Yang joined in of her attack, and each of them ran at Ozpin, with her weapon/s pointed at him, prepared to deal finishing blow.

Ozpin had no choice left. As much as he wanted to give them a fair fight, he had his own duties to uphold, and he had to use any means to retain them intact. In the end, the cycle had to go on. He activated his semblance once more, drawing more aura into it, much to his dismay, and this time, the sides of his shoulders began to crystallize, becoming green crystal instead with some cloth trapped inside. The more he did this, the more the crystal took him over, until finally, he had enough aura built up, but most of his shoulders and upper back were now crystalline. With one swift motion, Ozpin raised his cane, and whispered.

"It's over."

And with that, he hit the ground, and team RWBY was frozen in time.


	67. The Truth, Part 2

And so, that was it. Ozpin slumped over, breathing heavily, now with a new task at hand. The crystals, growing over his shoulders, were the least of his worries, as now, not only did he have to keep them at bay from consuming him completely, he also had to keep team RWBY frozen in his sanctum, for as long as he lived. Alas, even his weakened state, he could only slow them to a near halt, at least until he recuperated completely, and refueled his aura, letting him go on while diverting some of it to keeping them at bay. He felt their minds, souls, and auras fight on, trying to break his control, giving the team one last chance before his semblance predominated time completely. The constant consumption of his aura meant he probably could no longer fight again, but in the end, none of it mattered: The cycle had to continue, and he would do whatever he needed to see it through. Yet, deep inside, a hint of regret manifested in him yet again. This iteration was already out of control, and now, he wasn't even sure how to go on continuing it.

 _And so, the cycle continues..._ He thought to himself as he walked towards the doors.

* * *

Weiss was stuck. Ozpin's semblance may have been able to freeze their bodies in time and stop them altogether, but a remnant of her mind persisted, trying to fight his control over her. It felt both terrifying and infuriating, knowing that he basically played with them so far, having this power to end the fight in the blink of an eye, but nevertheless, with this move, Ozpin showed them mercy, but none of it mattered for Weiss. Right now, all she knew was that most likely, Ruby was frozen just like her, and that thought alone is what helped Weiss keep on keeping on. Yet, no matter what she did, nothing helped. She couldn't move her aura, couldn't manifest her semblance, let alone move her body accordingly. At this point, her willpower should have kicked in, and helped her push through this, and even so, nothing happened. Thus, with little to go on in the physical world, Weiss turned inside, and mentally entered the inner confines of her heart, knowing the answer lied there.

By now, her heart had become a much more organized place. Weiss, with the help of her lover Ruby and the rest of her team, was able to both allow her dormant emotions to manifest, but at the same time, keep them in check, making sure they don't take her over. Her father's abuse was carved this deep into her very soul, and this was the only way to stop herself from growing out of control. Alas, as much as she hated to admit it, Salem's words were right, and in doing this, she blocked out her full potential away from herself. Something she was about to rectify.

Weiss delved deeper and deeper in. All around her, memories of the times she had surrounded her, and this time, she was able to recall what they felt like, but not fully. Eventually, the light subsided, and in its place, darkness came, encompassing all and leaving Weiss in the same poll of blackness she saw when she did this for the first time. In this place, categories and norms were all but gone.

In this place, she could see herself for what she truly was.

"...You came back..." Before her, the monstrosity that first gave her the power to fight her father materialized. At first, as a small, weekly sludge, but eventually, it grew and grew, taking its rightful place at the center of her soul, before addressing her again.

"You need more, correct?"

"..." Weiss didn't say anything, except look up at its face, and see it for what it truly was: Her. In essence, this black cluster of bile and anger was her inner self, unbound and free. She focused her mind, and conjured an image of Myrtenaster, pointing it at her very ego.

"Then you would fight me?" The sludge looked at her for a minute, and started laughing hysterically, as though parts of herself were mocking her in defiance. "Futile." It said, after finally letting the laughter cease. "I am you. The real you. When you set yourself on this path, you let me in, giving up on whatever you had before, which was next to nothing." It reminded her. "You cannot fight me, let alone best me, for I am you, in every shape, way and form. Killing me would only unleash everything you have managed to push away to protect your Ruby."

That was the breaking point.

Weiss jumped forward, reaching out for her armor, wanting to slice her ego apart. And yet, it did not come, and her inner self waved it's arm around, blowing her away.

"Fool." It bellowed at her. "This armor was brought forth by myself! Given to you as a means of shielding yourself against the world! You cannot use its power here, where I reside!" With that, the sludge began to shape shift, turning itself into the knight she had to face in that test all those years ago.

"IF YOU WISH TO FIGHT, THEN FINE! LET ME CRUSH YOU AND TAKE OVER, AS THE TRUE SELF!" With that, it threw its sword in her direction, and Weiss jumped to the side, avoiding it. Even in the most intimate places of her heart, she still did not have complete control, and she knew that if she truly wanted to defeat fate, she would first have to defeat herself.

Weiss made her move, and ran towards the knight, stabbing it multiple times, while trying to avoid her own wrath.

"FOOL!" It swung its massive sword, hitting her directly, and pushing Weiss to the edge. It came towards her, and raised the blade again, ready to completely kill her conscious mind, and take control.

"Don't worry; we won't stop being us. We'll just be free, from morality and law, justice and peace, to hell with them all! I'll do whatever I WANT, whenever I WANT to do it, and fuck everyone else!"

The sword came down, and yet, Weiss felt nothing hit her. She opened her eyes, and around her, a small spark glittered. A memory of Ruby. She held on to it, letting the happiness fill her soul, as Myrtenaster's image began to glow white, and she got out of the way.

"Perhaps." She finally spoke to the nightmare within her heart. "Perhaps I cannot rid myself of you, but I don't need to." She lifted her rapier, and jumped at it again. "You may be my inner self, but in the end, you are no more part of me than everything else! I am more than anger! More than joy!"

She landed on the helmet if the armor, and with one fell swoop, she pierced it, shattering it to pieces.

"My name is Weiss! And I am the master of my own heart!"

* * *

Blake floated mid-air, still holding both Wilt & Gambol Shroud, ready to attack wherever Ozpin stood just a few moments ago. She tried to call upon her semblance, and like she suspected, nothing came. She couldn't call upon her split soul for the help she so desperately needed right now, and so, the only thing she had left that she could do was sink deeper into her mind, and once again, the trio of her selves manifested before her.

"..." Blake said nothing. She couldn't bring herself to do so. After all that she heard from Ozpin, something stirred within her, not letting Blake take any action. It was even above Ozpin's semblance. She was stuck from within as well, not able to push onward.

The autonomous clone approached her, and opened its mouth.

_'You know he is right.'_

Even without actual words, Blake was able to read the lips, and her face twisted with shock at the notion that a part of herself found the cycle to be the right thing to do.

_'The cycle saved many, beyond our ability to count. The greater good of the people triumphs the safety of the individual.'_

"N-NO!" Blake called out in defiance. "Everyone's lives are precious! We can't make them sacrifice themselves for reasons they don't understand!"

 _'And yet, we have no choice.'_ At this point, her afterimage vanished again, while the regular clone somehow stopped mimicking her actions.

_'The cycle was there for a reason. It proved that plenty could survive, regardless of the few that didn't. This is what had to be done.'_

"That's exactly what Adam said!" Blake yelled again. "That's what he wanted, and I didn't stand for it anymore!"

 _'Back then we were ignorant to the truth.'_ Her duplicate insisted. _'back then we had things were on a much smaller scale.'_

Blake bit her tongue. As much as she wanted to deny it. She couldn't refuse to the fact that indeed, some parts of her saw this as the right way, some parts of her soul that saw things in a different light, and if she wanted to regain her strength and be able to break free of Ozpin's semblance, she would have to take the final steps, and close the gap between the many parts of her soul. She raised Wilt & Blush, and readied them, ready to take on the army she made herself.

The two clones that remained simply looked at her, and vanished as well. After a short moment, many reflections of herself of all types started appearing from the horizon, and Blake steeled herself for conflict.

Finally, a few of them got close enough, and Blake slashed them, dissipating the bunch. From there, she went on her fight, taking them out, one by one. With each clone she dispersed, Blake could feel a small portion of her soul come to her under her thumb. Each time, she got stronger and stronger, but without her semblance to help her within the innermost parts of her soul, she was all alone, against an army that was convinced that the cycle should go on.

The fight lasted on, and little by little, Blake was able to rejoin the many aspects of herself together, and with each splinter she absorbed, another memory flashed before her eyes: The times she was with the White Fang, the moment she decided to defect, the time Yang got to her in time, saving her life.

The time she killed Adam.

But Blake was a different person than who she was two and a half years ago. In that time, she grew and became stronger, her own semblance evolving as well along the way, to reflect the many changes she experiences. She was no longer afraid of conflict, no longer shackled by her past, and she was ready and willing to fight for her beliefs for until the very end.

Two more came at her from each side. Blake spun in place, ending them both, and regaining a little bit more of unison inside herself. Another one came from above, using Wilt & Blush, and Blake, in a moment of instinct, created an afterimage, dodging her clone, and approaching it, severing it in half. She paused for a brief moment, and realized that the more she did this, the more she was able to manifest her power even when many parts of herself went against it.

Then, the regular clones came back. She pushed on even harder, but now, she was about to face the hardest part of them all: Her sentient clones. They came against her, and Blake tried to dodge, them, managing to take out a few, but unlike what she faced before, each one of them was just as dangerous as she was. They were able to think on their own and plan, after all. Suddenly, she was knocked back by one of them, pinning her down to the ground, and the clone stood before her, victorious.

_'You can't fight this. Our role is here. Going out would only hurt more people. We can't have that.'_

"We'll be able to save them!". Blake called out, and a huge, thundering echo came from all around her. "We are not weak anymore! We have the power to act, and I will NOT stay idle as people die!"

Her words managed to touch a few of them, and they vanished, joining her soul as well. With this added strength, Blake was able to break through the binds, and lounged back at her rebellious selves, fighting them with her empowered resolve and hope.

 _'This is the only way.'_ They kept on insisting, and Blake called upon every ounce of strength she had left, and finally succeeded in defeating the rest of them.

At last, the voices stopped. She stared at the now empty space that used to be filled with tons of spinsters, and felt her soul resonate in complete unison.

"We'll protect them. All of them." Blake concluded, and the whole place filled with light, as her soul became complete once again.

* * *

At the moment Ozpin froze time, Ruby flared her silver eyes, filling her line of sight with bright, white light. Then, the stop came. She couldn't move; her aura froze;, and all she could do was stare at the brightness that field of view.

 _I can't let it end like this..._ She thought to herself, as she tried to struggle. _There has to be a way to break through Ozpin..._

As she struggled on, Ruby could feel the presence of another in her mindscape. It was a familiar feeling, one she hasn't felt in a long time, and had thought was gone.

She turned to see the ghostly image of her mother, Summer Rose, float above her, half transparent and mute, as always.

"O-Oh. It's you..." Ruby recalled her behavior at the mention of her mother by Ozpin. Now, that she knew the truth, she saw her mother in a different light, one unbound by the child in her that wanted to see her mother back. Right now, she saw Summer as not only her mother, but as a silver-eyed champion, fighting the grimm and Salem with the same bravery Ruby wanted to show others.

"Mom... I'm sorry..." Ruby took this much-needed chance at catharsis to try and at least talk to whatever remained of Summer in her mind. She knew this wasn't really her, but the ghostly image felt all the real to her. "I'm sorry I couldn't see the truth earlier..."

Summer's phantasm simply looked at her, with her ever-present cheerful smile.

"Don't you see?!" Ruby lashed out. "I did all of this, only to fall to the same pits you fell in! The same damn cycle that Ozpin put us all through! And now, at the very end, I can't even bring myself to forgive myself for things I don't even know why..." Ruby felt guilty, in a way, for her mother's death. When it happened, she was way too young to truly grasp what was going on all around her, leaving her almost indifferent to her mother's death. And now, that something resembling her floated in front of Ruby, she could no longer hide her own, shame, and the team started to flow along her face. In response, Summer went close to her, and wiped the tears with her hand.

"Why?..." Ruby asked again. "Why are you so calm? You are a part of me, right? The part that can't let go of the past. The part that can't embrace the future, knowing what couldn't be undone anymore. Then why are you so forgiving?!"

Summer came close again, and hugged her daughter, letting her rest gently on her lap.

"I know what I have to do to break free. I know it, but I can't bring myself to do it." If Ruby wanted to snap out of it, and tap into the strength she needed to resume time for herself, she needed her hope to do it. And yet, no matter what she did, she couldn't bring herself at that moment to feel any shred of wishful thinking or hope. If she wanted to gain the power to do so, she would need to the one thing that kept her from her full potential.

She would need to let the past, and her mother, go.

"I can't... Please don't make me do this..." Ruby struggled with that simple fact. There had to be another way, and Ruby was determined, now more than ever, to find out what it was. She frantically searched, running dozens of scenarios in her mind, but each time, Summer interrupted her, floating before her.

"I won't do it!" Ruby lashed out, and Summer, hearing her decision, raised her hand, forming a copy of Crescent Rose in her hand.

"Please... I don't want to hurt you..." Ruby, sensing the inevitable on instinct, took her combat stance, and out of nowhere, her scythe manifested itself in her hand, or at least, a mental image of it. She grasped the blade, and felt the dust pearl, in her left hand, vibrating with power. She could end this right there and then, alas, this was a fight Ruby wished to avoid at all costs.

Summer dashed at her, swinging her own Crescent Rose, and Ruby, wanting to be as defensive as possible, blocked her attacks, while stepping back. The strikes continued, one after the other, and each time, Ruby dodged, in a desperate attempt to not hurt her mother.

"Mom PLEASE! Just stop this! We can find something else!" Ruby kept on calling in denial, but Summer did not let on, her barrage not stopping, until Ruby was knocked down to the floor, and her mother stood before her, lifting the scythe one last time.

"Please! No!" She kept on calling, again and again, but on deaf ears. Summer dropped the scythe, and Ruby, having no other choice, speeded out of there, and came at her mother, being on the attack. Still, Ruby held herself back, and her attacks only missed, Summer evading them efficiently, while replying in kind, and again, pushing Ruby to the ground.

"..." This time, Ruby said nothing. Summer came up to her, blade raised, and Ruby, this time realizing she had no other choice, rolled away from it, came up from behind her mother, and in one, swift motion, she sliced her, and Summer fell this time, laying on her back.

"Mom..." Ruby came up to her, and saw her mother lying there, smiling at her gently. This was the tipping point, and Ruby knew that if she had the mental capacity to hurt her mother back, she could finally leave her be, and as she did, Summer's image slowly faded, leaving sparks of light in her passing.

"I'm sorry..." Ruby looked into her mother's silver eyes, and saw a reflection of herself in them. Slowly, the ghost evaporated, and became one with the whiteness that surrounded Ruby on all sides.

"I'll make sure to uphold your legacy as the silver-eyed champion." Ruby said, finally free of her past, as the light intensified, and she felt the hope within her brim and surge.

* * *

Yang was frozen. She still felt the Dust Celica, burning with power and her aura, and yet, she couldn't move. Her eyes were wide open, letting her see how Ozpin walked towards the door, and she knew, at that moment, that if she were to do nothing, all true hope would be gone. Her dust infused body struggled in retaliation, but alas, nothing came out of it, and soon, the awareness of being stuck permanently in one spot until the end of times started to terrify her.

 _I have to MOVE!_ She thought to herself, and struggled on, to no avail. The beautiful world she saw all this time, the many auras that followed her every step and guided her path so far, they were all but frozen in place as well in her eyes, thrown in the vicious tides of Ozpin's cycle, forever to be lost.

And for the first time in ages, she felt alone.

The very thought scared her, horrified her even. No one was there to help her this time. No aura was around to comfort Yang in her hour of need. And now, that she knew what was about to happen to the world she cherished so much, she felt even more helpless in the face of the cycle. Even her teammate's auras' which should her brought her some form of courage, did little to assist her, moving as slow as she was, giving her the illusion everything truly stopped.

 _No..._ She whimpered deep inside, not knowing what to do next. She wanted to feel angry, perhaps in rage she could find the key to resisting Ozpin's time manipulation, but something deep inside her, primal even, shouted at her this was not the right way. That anger would bring her nothing.

And so, she just floated there, unable to connect to the outside world, having no other way to fight.

_"...p!"_

Suddenly, she heard a voice.

 _"...U ..g.!"_ Once again, something called directly to her, this time from the outside of her own mind.

"..." Yang didn't respond just yet. She let her aura sight expand, and yet, nothing but team RWBY and Ozpin were there.

 _"P...s.!"_ Another voice called out.

 _What?..._ She wasn't sure who or what were speaking to her, and one by one, the voices joined together, pleading for _something._

_"We can't give up!"_

_"Please! Someone save us!"_

_"We can't do this alone!"_

All of a sudden, Yang realized who she heard all this time, and with what little control of her aura she had left, and turned her attention to the auras of Remnant, beholding the most amazing sight she ever saw.

The entirety of Remnant called out in unison for help, united by hope.

She wasn't sure who they were calling for. Obviously, no one knew she was there, or what they were fighting for. And yet, knowing what the alternative was, and hearing all of Remnant reach out to anyone who could listen, Yang retightened her resolve, and tried harder to break through.

_"Where is the silver eyed champion?!"_

_"The Dustmaster can help us! She can show us the way!"_

_"Please! Army of One! Whenever you are, come protect us!"_

_"I know you can hear me, White Knight. You showed me I can have the will never to give up, so prove to me you still have it as well!"_

One by one, they kept on calling, not just to Yang, but to the rest of her team as well. The Mistralian church may have been able to damage their reputation, but even then, there were those who still saw them as heroes. The ones who defeated Cinder Fall, the ones that stopped the war between Atlas and Vale, the ones that slew countless grimm, protection the people of Remnant as both proud huntresses and simple souls willing to do the right thing no matter how the odds were stacked against them.

Yang looked at it all unfold before her, and slowly, she felt her hope rebuild itself, allowing her to struggle even harder than ever before.

 _I can't let them down..._ She constantly thought to herself. _This world needs me! I can't just stay here! I can do this! I can break the cycle!_

More and more, the Dust Celica heated up, and Yang, with it, felt more and more alive. She was one with the world now, in all of its bright and beauty, its darkness and ugliness, as even the grimm, now stripped of the title of monsters in her eyes, took on a different form, as part of the natural world, unshackled by cycles and loops. As much as humanity was allowed to live and prosper, it was the grimm's purpose to attack them, giving this feeling of complete harmony in the hearts of men.

And with one, final push, Yang was able to break free.

* * *

Ozpin stopped in place. He felt their aura grow more and more wilder and radiant, fighting on with what little they had left, before his lockdown was complete. Then, he felt his aura cut loose, as he turned around, and saw Team RWBY, stand before him, now free to move once more, and pointing their weapons at him.

"..." Ozpin didn't say anything. At this point, he didn't have enough aura to both keep the dust from crystallizing him, and freeze Ruby and her team again. However, now that he didn't need to bind them forcibly any longer, he still had one, last, shred of fighting spirit, and yet, when he looked at them, all he could do was smile.

"Maybe... Just maybe..." He said quietly, and raised his cane.

"Ozpin, stop." Ruby asked. "You can't fight like this, and none of us want to have to finish it like this. "

"I'm sorry, but I can't have both of us living on Remnant like this." Ozpin apologized. "No matter what happens, the cycle has to go on, and I will continue it. It is the only way."

From there, a moment of silence washed over everyone. No one dared to make the first move, and the standstill kept on going.

"If you won't make the first move, what makes you think you can lead Remnant on, if you break the cycle?" Ozpin dashed at them, leaving Weiss to jump in and block him, and the rest of the team scattered, with Ruby and Blake shooting at Ozpin from long range, while Yang and Weiss kept their short distance, throwing swords and punches at the headmaster. Ozpin, even when weakened, still posed a quite formidable threat, and fought back, somehow blocking all four of them at the same time.

"You may have your hopes, but I have mine as well." Ozpin pointed out, and the fight only intensified, with each side throwing bigger and bigger punches at each other. Ozpin accelerated time, running towards Ruby, who retaliated by giving him a full on swing with her scythe. At the last second, he slowed down time for himself instead, and as he saw her coming, he ducked, swiping her cane at her feet. Blake intervened, and created a clone, now completely one with her own soul, as it jumped in between the two, pushing Ruby away as she used her silver eyes, couples with her semblance, to get out of Ozpin and Blake's way, leaving Blake with enough space to fight in, uninterrupted. Blake jumped into the air. Creating a clone holding Blush in its hand, and used it as a ramp, flying quickly in Ozpin's direction. He blocked her blade with his came, and the clone shot at him several times, with Ozpin hastening time again, and getting out of the way.

Ozpin started to breathe heavily again. The more he used his aura, the more the dust in his body started to take over, and he gradually felt himself crystallize, and by now, he was confident that soon it would reach the point of no return. But as long as he still had a chance, as long as he had a glimpse of opportunity to return victorious outside and find a way to fix the world of Remnant, he couldn't let up, and his aura, empowered by his hope, kept him going just as much as it did for team RWBY.

This time, Yang ran to him, and morphed the Dust Celica into a blade, slashing Ozpin, and the two got traded blows, with the sound of crystal hitting metal fill the room. Blade didn't wait up, and with three more clones, charged at Ozpin, while Yang smirked, and jumped into the air, restoring the shape of a fist to the Dust Celica, prepared to pound the ground as she landed, while Blake swung her blades from all four directions, Keeping Ozpin busy just for enough time for Yang to descend, as she rushed down to the floor, with all of her might.

"Ozpiiiin!" She called out to him, and Blake dashed out at the last possible second, and Ozpin raised his cane, blocking Yang, as the two got locked into a standstill, both trying to overpower the other.

"You can't keep the cycle going!" Yang cried in defiance. "The people of Remnant need read hope! Not one forced and shoved onto them!"

"And what of greed?! Of pride?!" Ozpin actually raised his voice for the first time in ages. "Let hope fester forever, and mankind will just fall into the same pit, over and over, until nothing will be left!"

"Then let them!" Weiss came from behind him, and opened her heart, now fully within her grasp, as the knight's blade grew in size, overflowing with power and determination. Ozpin knocked Yang back, and turned to her, stopping Weiss, while Yang herself jumped back.

"Let them fall! Let them feel pain! And in the end, they will only grow stronger each time, and face themselves, just as they face the world!"

"Then you would let them suffer?!" Ozpin pushed on, and his hope burned bright, while the dust chewed at his body away. "You would let them die and be in pain?!"

"They will stand together!" Blake came this time, and surrounded Ozpin with her clones, each of them crashing into Ozpin, one by one. "They will fight on as one! Undivided! Unbroken! And with each other's help, they will find their path to the future!"

"And what of the dead! How will they live knowing so many died in their wake to make sure they could survive today?!"

Ruby stood there, and let the silver eyes flare on. She focused on the dust crystal in her arm, and slowly, the reaction was made, and Crescent Rose took on the form of the Silverblade, the blade itself shining brilliant silver.

"Then they will learn to live on, and let the dead be, in both memory and legend."

With that, Ruby dashed with her scythe, and her semblance, all the way at Ozpin. While Blake got out of her range, Ozpin simply stood there, giving her an accepting Smile, and Ruby dashed against him, swinging Crescent Rose with all the aura and strength she had left.

At Ozpin fell to the floor, as his aura depleted itself protection him, thus sealing his fate.

The group each ran up to him, as Ozpin laid on the floor of his sanctum, dust beginning to replace his skin.

"O-Ozpin..." Ruby murmured.

"N-Now No-ow." Ozpin coughed loudly. "You made t-this choice. Y-you decided to b-break the cycle."

In a way, he was right. They were victorious, and now, Remnant could finally move towards the future, unhindered by fate and endless loops. And yet. No joy was felt. No celebration ensued. They all just Kneeled next to him, to pay their final respects to the mentor that brought them so far in their lives.

"We won't forget this." Ruby swore. "We may have had our battle, but you were still our headmaster. Our teacher. And we won't let your name go down in vain."

"P-Please, do." Ozpin requested. "Humanity cannot k-know who I-I was. L-Let them look to th-the fut-ture."

None of them had any response. How do you honor a man's last request to let his own name, his own legacy, to go down through history unnoticed?

"...Okay." Ruby finally spoke up. "If that is what you wish for, then I will accept, for the future of Remnant."

"T-Tha-a-ank Y-Y..o..u..." And with that, Ozpin's body finally gave out, and he became pure crystal, clothing and all.

Team RWBY looked at his peaceful face as he passed away. Yang could see that indeed, his aura was frozen completely, and from that point on, there was no salvation for him.

"So what do we do now?" Blake asked calmly, and Yang, in response, came to bring Ozpin away, letting him become one with the world, before Ruby stopped her hand with her scythe, a calm, yet serious expression on her face.

"Ruby..." Yang stopped her movement, and Ruby looked at her, eyes filled with understanding.

"He wanted to be forgotten. This is his sanctum, where he made his last stand. And now, it shall also serve as his tomb, forevermore to be here."

"Then this is the end of Ozpin?" Weiss asked, a bit in disbelief. After all she's been through, she finally managed to find it in her heart to feel a hint of sympathy and grief for the man.

"Well, if he doesn't want the rest of Remnant to remember, we will." Yang decided. "In the end, he fought for what he believed in, and on one can fault him on that."

The rest of the group simply nodded in agreement. Nothing left to be said; nothing left to do. With that, each of them walked together, hand in hand, to the doors which led them to this very moment, and stepped outside, to greet the corridor before them. As they walked through, Glynda, Qrow, and Oobleck were already up on their feet.

"So..." Glynda only needed one look at the group to know what just happened while they were out. She sighed deeply, and slumped over for a bit, trying to take it all in.

"Out of all the things that could have happened..." Qrow covered his eyes with his hand, after a short while, and looked at Ruby, seeing a new type of face on her. The face of someone who finally managed to move on.

"I assume Ozpin is gone, then." Oobleck stopped them as they left, and they turned to the group of the council.

"...Yes..." Ruby simply said. She had too much, and she needed to rest, and take all that she did in.

"But... Why? Why do it?" Qrow had to know. Ozpin, while sharing plenty of information with his associates, was always known to keep plenty of the details with himself. Qrow had to find out what made the very silver eyed warrior to turn on Ozpin like she did.

Ruby didn't say anything this time, and Weiss opened her mouth instead.

"Because we all fought for what we believed in." And with that, the group left headed to the stairs, and back to Remnant.

* * *

The air outside felt strange to them. Of the surface level, everything seemed the same, except more peaceful. There were no monsters to fight. No plans to foil. No cycles to break, and the only things accompanying them now were the crickets, chirping away near the grass, and the night clouds, hovering in tranquility above the sky.

"So, it's finally over..." Ruby muttered as she looked to the blank sky.

"I would seem so." Blake added, and looked as well. "At least for now."

"The grimm won't stop." Yang said, as the unfortunate truth slowly sunk in. In fact, now they had the eldritchan grimm as well to deal with, and without the moon to give those with hope its aura, there was no telling what was to come. "They will come back."

"And when they do, We will be ready." Weiss concluded, as now the whole group looked to the sky, filled with both hope and will. "We will be ready to fight for the future we choose, not one given to us by fate."

"Yeah." Ruby said, as a single tear started to form on her cheek.

A tear of happiness.

A tear of Hope.

Act III: Burn - Complete


	68. Epilogue: Hope

It's been four months since Ozpin's death.

Yang Xiao long, now renowned dustmaster of Remnant, was laying in her bed in Beacon Academy, wearing nothing more than a simple orange tee and panties, sleeping peacefully. At her side, her long-time partner and lover, Blake Belladonna, slept next to her, her head resting on Yang's chest, while giving a slight purr every once in a while. On the other side of the dorm, her sister, Ruby Rose, once known as the angel of Remnant, and her girlfriend, Weiss, who denounced her family's name and legacy, were sleeping as well, oblivious to the world around them. Yang saw their auras, flickering gently and with peace, as Ruby, for the first time in years, was able to get a night's rest, uninterrupted by anything around her, while Weiss, with her hand over Ruby's body, made barely a noise, holding on to her partner for warmth. Even though Yang was asleep, her consciousness was still very much active, and she felt the spring morning sun come from the horizon, washing her with the day's light, and filling her with the energy to wake her physical body up. She opened her eyes, glinting golden, and as she always did, stayed in bed for just a few more minutes, letting Blake's aura brush against hers, before getting out of bed, stuffing a pillow in her place, and putting on her training clothes, containing a push-up bra, shorts, and a tight shirt, fit for running, ready for her morning routine.

"Yang..." She suddenly heard her partner call out to her, somehow able to tell the difference in her sleep. Yang came over to her bed, placed the Dust Celica on her back, and got close to her car ears.

"It's okay, Blakey. I'll be back soon, alright?"

With that, Blake's aura seemed to have calmed down a little, and Yang was able to get outside, and start her morning jog, doing laps around the school's grounds several times. As she ran, the cold morning breeze hit her face, cooling her body while running, and bit by bit, the many students of Beacon got up, and started roaming the halls, with no particular thing to do. As she saw Yang run past, some waved at her; some called out, but in the end, everyone's auras felt cheerful and hopeful.

After all, this was the day they finally graduate Beacon Academy, and become official huntresses.

After about two hours of running and doing laps, Yang finished the jog part of her morning ritual, and as the sun got higher and higher in the sky, she approached the arches at Beacon's main courtyard, and with one jump, and reached the top, and sat down, to start her meditation. She felt her soul detach from her body, as she rose to the air, and the many auras of Remnant came into her field of view, now more vibrant than ever. Of course, the grimm were still there, and in the six months that passed since Salem's demise, they have returned to their usual habits, attacking the human and faunus population. However, now, the blackness in her eyes didn't bother her anymore. This was a part of the world she loved so much, and in the end, she came to accept that this is a part of life on Remnant, and all they could do was follow the path, and protect themselves and each other.

As she sat and meditated, Yang mused over the adventure her team and her had over the past three years. All of them changed so much, and now, on the precipice of the end, she couldn't feel but a little sad at closing this chapter of her life like this. However, in the end, if there was one thing she learned from her experience in life, is that nothing truly stops. Everything changes, transforms, and at the end of the path laid the beginning of the next one. Glynda, having taken the headmistress' as well as the head council member's positions, at least until the elections would be over and she could return her full attention to the students of Beacon, already talked to her about the teacher's position, and as a tribute of Ozpin, agreed to still allow her to teach aura control and dust forging, at least after she had graduated with the current seniors of Beacon.

"Hey." She heard a voice come from next to her, and returned to her physical body, where she found Jaune sitting next to her.

"Hi..." Yang sighed.

"You know... After that fight with Salem, and now the graduation thing, I've been doing some thinking."

"Yeah?" Yang asked him. Jaune was just as a trusted friend to her as her own team, and in his soul, she could see that a hard decision was made in his heart.

"I think, that when we graduate, I won't stay in Vale anymore."

"Why?" Yang was a little confused. She wanted to let Jaune explain himself in his own words.

"Well... We've traveled all over the four kingdoms now, and from I have seen, I can only tell that while we did push the grimm back, mankind will still fight amongst themselves. They need someone. Someone who will be able to stop all of them, and give them an equal chance to either talk it out, or fight on the same grounds, where no one will have any unfair advantage."

"..." Yang said nothing, and her eyes turned to the rising sun from the east. It was a little harsh, say good-bye to such a loyal friend, but Yang wouldn't try and stop him. She saw that Jaune already made up him mind, and anything she did to try and convince him otherwise would only cause them strife.

"I will visit." Jaune added. "Don't worry, this isn't the last time you see me."

Yang gave him a big smile. "Don't YOU worry, we won't. I'll always be able to see your aura Jaune, so whenever you're in trouble, we'll come running."

The two stopped talking after that, and just watched the sun go up.

"Well, I have to get going, we got a long day ahead of us! You coming?" Yang got up and stretched herself, and Jaune and her jumped down from the arch, landing on their feet, as they walked to wake up the rest of their teams, to get them ready for the big day.

* * *

The alarm clock went off, and Ruby, shortly followed by Weiss and Blake, woke up in team RWBY's dorm room. Of course, Yang was already done, being up since the early morning, and on her morning routine, leaving the rest of her team to wake up whenever they wanted to.

"Good..." Ruby yawned loudly. "...Morning, Weiss."

"Good morning." Weiss replied with a simple kiss, and got up, headed to the dorm's showers. By now, the two of them finally kicked their relationship on a much more intimate level, being given the time and peace to do so, and the two spent as much time as they could together, doing simple things like watching movies, doing walks together, and occasionally sparring. Ruby, after finally convincing Weiss to agree, was finally able to start a project to upgrade Myrtenaster, just because she loved the subject so much, already having loads of ideas for her own weapon.

"He-lloooo!" Yang's voice boomed through the door as she opened it abruptly, managing to startle both Ruby and Blake. "Who's ready for the big day?!"

"Uh..." Ruby groaned, still half asleep. "Can't you just wake us up normally for one day?"

"Nope." Yang hurried over to her and Blake's bed, giving her a wide hug. "I told ya I'll be back. Now, let's get you ready, alright?"

Blake silently nodded, still being groggy from the night before, and Yang, seeing as Weiss was still in their shower, quickly grabbed her girlfriend and some towels, and the two went out, presumably to the communal showers downstairs. Even without aura sight, Blake was able to tell Yang was filled with enthusiasm.

"Anyway..." Ruby looked at the two leave the dorm, and after a few short minutes, Weiss came out, and began to put on her regular gear, as Ruby herself came into the showers, and at last, all of team RWBY were prepared for the big day, and they walked towards Glynda's office, having been requested there a few days prior.

"We're here." Ruby said as they came out of the elevator, and Glynda looked at them, her face filled with both concern and joy.

"Welcome girls. Please, take a seat." She pointed to the various chairs around the room.

"Now that you are all here..." Glynda's voice quieted down. "What are we going to do about Ozpin?"

The moment she mentioned his name, Ruby's cheerfulness all but vanished, and she assumed the stern, serious face she came to have during her lifetime. This was no time for games, and now, Ruby knew quite well how to deal with matters such as these.

"We already buried his sanctum." Ruby stated. "collapsed the stairs and everything. What is there left to do?"

"..." Glynda wasn't sure how to reply. She knew Ozpin for as long as she was in Beacon, from student to his assistant, and the pain she felt over his loss was immeasurable. However, after hearing the more detailed explanation from team RWBY, she couldn't hold anything against them, knowing they were most likely speaking the truth.

"We still need to know what do we tell the people." She spoke at last.

"We tell them his perished." Weiss suggested. "If we bury this fact, we are no better than the cycle he created."

"But..."

"She's right, Glynda." Blake cut in. "This is a new Remnant. We don't have anything else to protect us anymore. If we want to survive, we'll have to face the music, no matter how painful it might be, and go on."

"..." Glynda silenced up again. This was going to be tough, and grueling, but in the end, they were right, and she knew this, although not wanting to admit it. "Then Ruby. You make the speech." She turned to the team leader. "One last appearance from the Angel. That's what they need right now, and I won't bother you with this again."

"I'll do it." Ruby agreed. She didn't really mind, but now that she wasn't hassled all the time by devotees and believers, and she was able to spend more time with Weiss, she wanted to avoid such public appearances when able, but this time was an exception. This time was the ONE time the angel was most needed.

"Thank you." Glynda exclaimed. It was not hard to see that to her this whole thing was just as hard to digest, even now, at the end of the school year.

From there, the group discussed the plans for the ceremony. Of course, there was no intention of just telling everyone the whole truth in one hit. Ozpin wanted to fade into history, and Ruby was going to honor his final request. However, the people already started to ask questions about where he was, and if they wanted to close the book on his chapter, they needed to be honest about his end.

"Well, that is all for now." Glynda concluded. "We have about six more hours before the actual ceremony begins, so use that time as you see fit."

Team RWBY exited the tower's office floor, and headed downstairs. Weiss mentioned she had something to take care of in Vale's main city, and ran lightly to the station. Ruby headed back to the dorm, to prepare for the speech she had to give to everyone later on. Blake already made some plans as well, following Weiss into the main city, which left Yang alone for now, as she wandered the halls, having no particular thing to do at the moment.

"Hello."

She felt Neo's aura coming up from behind her, and turned to see the short assassin, now turned huntress, walking up to her, a mundane look on her face. While team RWBY were still in need of graduation, Neo's age and personal request allowed her to skip the formalities, and just get her huntress license from Beacon, cementing her place amongst them.

"Oh. Hey Neo. Got nothing to do as well?" Yang asked her half curiously. Neo gave her a single, decisive nod. "Well, you can come with me then." Yang gave her a cheerful smile, and the two went along, strolling Beacon.

"So... Everything's so peaceful now, huh?..." Yang mentioned as the two walked to nowhere in particular.

Neo nodded in agreement. "Yup..."

"Say, Neo," Yang asked her, wanting to solicit a more in-depth response from the heterochromatic woman. "What was Torchwick like? We never actually got to know anything important about him."

Neo looked at her a bit puzzled. In a way, Yang was right, and the only extracts they saw of her mentor were when the two fought together. She thought about the matter, trying to pick the right words, before opening her mouth.

"A survivor." Once again, barely any response from her. Yang wasn't even sure how Neo managed to cram so much into so little, seeing as the man was the one who supposedly raised her, so one would think she would have more to say on the matter. Then again, Yang could still see her aura, and while Neo tried to hide it, Yang could tell she still had great feelings for the man.

Seeing Neo still in Beacon and thinking about the future reminded Yang of Jaune for some reason. True, Neo wasn't the best of friends with her, but Yang was still interested.

"Any plans for the future?"

"Not much." Neo replied. "Stay here, get jobs. That's it."

"So you decided to stay, huh..." Of all people, Yang believed Neo would be one of the first to leave. Well, all the more surprise that some people can have in store.

* * *

And at last, the hour came, and the students, both freshmen and seniors, gathered in the front courtyard of Beacon, where a small stage was erected, and on which, Glynda, Qrow, and Oobleck stood, waiting for everyone to take a seat. Team RWBY, JNPR, had their own seats reserved on the sidelines, close enough to the stage, seeing as their graduation was more of an honorary one, if anything else. Soft music played in the background, while more and more students gathered, some with their parents, some alone, all flocking to the seats. Even Winter managed to find a small window of time in her schedule to come to New Vale and witness her sister becoming an official huntress at last.

Once everyone on the list arrived and was seated down, Glynda signaled the music to stop, and approached the microphone before her. All around her, cameras were broadcasting the event all around Remnant. In fact, each academy's graduation day fell on a different season, just so that everyone could watch all of them each year.

"People of New Vale! Our viewers from all around Remnant! I, Glynda Goodwitch, headmistress and temporary council head of New Vale, welcome you to the 80th graduation ceremony of Beacon Academy!" A small burst of applaud, followed by silence, letting her continue.

"On this day, we give the title of huntsmen, those who are here to protect mankind from the creatures of grimm, and serve as examples of good will, kindness, teamwork, and most importantly, Hope, to a new generation of students. Each of them studied carefully, obtained combat experience, and most importantly, was given the tools and training they needed to face the darkness that looms in the edges of our world on a daily basis."

Another small round of applaud. Yang took a quick glance, and saw how almost everyone there was already giddy with excitement to be called out, to receive their graduation certificate. The students were allowed to wear whatever they wanted to this event, so the range of clothes went from simple blouses and shorts to complexly arranged dresses and suits.

"Alas..." Glynda continued, and the mood fell a little by the tone of her voice. "This year, unlike many others, we bear the loss of a great man. A leader of this school, and a personal mentor of mine: I am sad to announce Professor Ozpin had passed away from illness in his sleep two weeks ago." A small lie to protect the real legacy of the man.

Some of the audience went into a small state of disbelief. For many, Ozpin was the man who oversaw their growth as huntsmen and huntresses, and hearing about his loss at this time counteracted the happy tones from just a few minutes ago, filling the courtyard with the hushed tone of sadness.

"However, in his passing, Ozpin did not want us to look at the past, and grieve. He wanted us to live on, and look towards the future, and what it has in store for us. Today, we mourn, but tomorrow, we fight, in his name, in your name, for what the future generations of huntsmen will stand for!" Her words managed to somewhat uplift the spirits of everyone there, and with that, Glynda finished her introductions.

"And now, without further ado, THESE, are your next protectors and guardians!" As she practically shouted that, the holographic screen behind her changed, now showing the name of one of the students, who came up to the stage, shook Glynda's hand, and received from her a paper certificate, officially declaring him a huntsman of Remnant. One by one, the projector changed, from student to student, and the crowd roared, seeing the many graduates set on their next stage of life. This went on until all of them were done, and once the parade music was over, and the last of the actual students sat down, either alone or with their family, Glynda approached the podium once more, and got the people's attention.

"And now, after all is said and done, I would like to invite some very special individuals, who fought valiantly and vigilantly against the forces of the grimm ever since the old Vale fell, and now, they stand amongst us, as huntsmen and huntresses by heart and body, but not in title. Today, we rectify this, and bestow upon them the honor they earned with their own merit!" Glynda pressed a button on her scroll, and the screen changed once more, showing the faces of the eight V. that sat close to her.

"Jaune Arc, Leader of team JNPR, and bringer of equality and justice!"

Jaune came to the stage, looking as confident as ever, and in the background, he could hear about seven familiar voices call out to him in cheer, as his seven sisters came to celebrate as well.

"I, uh... I'm not sure what to say." Jaune started fumbling already. For all of his might and strength, he never did learn how to deal with large crowds. Then, in the corner of his eye, he spotted two people, with crimson red hair, staring at the circlet attached to his belt with grief. "But, if there is one thing I know, is that the journey is never over, for any of us. I may fall, I may die, but I know. I know that the people after me will never forget me, or anyone else." With that, he left the stage, after getting his certificate, and took his seat, next to the rest of his team.

"Next! Lie Ren! One of the most brilliant tacticians of any student who ever set foot in this school!"

Ren didn't say much. He simply came to the stage, shook Glynda's hand hastily, and took the paper before going back down. He had nothing to say, nor any relatives to say it to.

"Now, Nora Valk-" Before Glynda could even finish her sentence, Nora was already on the stage, yapping about pretty much every single thought that passed through her mind at the moment. It took some persuasion from Ren and insistence from Glynda on getting her to get down, and let the others have their place in the spotlight.

"W-Well..." Glynda took a short moment to regain her composure, and returned to the list. "Penny Polendina! Who proved to us all you don't need flesh to be alive!"

Penny, in excitement, hovered a foot above ground, and approached Glynda. She shook her hand, and received the certificate, holding it in her hand, and trying her best to generate tears.

"T-Thank you... All of you... For accepting me for who I am! For letting me be here, with my father and friends, and be considered a part of this world!" She didn't say much, but her expression and words managed to convey quite easily what she was feeling. Her father, recording the whole thing on his customized scroll, looked at her, and gave her a big, happy smile, and Penny hovered back down cheerfully, returning to the rest of her team.

"And now, for team RWBY! Yang Xiao Long, the dustmaster! Will you please come up to the stage!" The crowd roared, and Yang, caught in their enthusiasm, became a bit more erratic than she would have liked, and marched to the stage, giving Glynda a big, strong hug.

"Y-Yang..." Glynda whispered, and Yang snapped out of it, releasing the older woman, and after taking the paper, she approached the microphone.

"Well, I'm never one to make big speeches and stuff... Um... " Yang scratched her head, not sure what to say. "But... Well, I can see everyone's auras, and you know what?! I can, tell, without a doubt, that nothing is going to stop us from protecting the beautiful world we like in!" She cheered and raised the Dust Celica, and the crowd roared with her.

"Now, Blake Belladonna, if you will!" Several claps came from the side, as the White Fang, led by Banesaw, cheered for their faunus friends who graduated, and Blake was no exception.

"Thank you." Blake stated. "From now on, let's all strive for a better future, where we will all stand united, both human and faunus, and protect those we care about, no matter who or what they are!" In the months that followed Ozpin's death, and even a little before that, the White Fang finally finished rebranding themselves. They still acted, and fought, but no longer against mankind. Now, they fought alongside them, both preaching peace and protecting both races, in a quite successful attempt to shatter preconceptions about the faunus, and bring true equality to everyone.

"Next up! Weiss!" Weiss got up silently, and walked slowly to the stage, shaking Glynda's hand, taking the certificate from her. Winter sat on the sidelines, clapping slowly, and next to her, two bodyguards, courtesy of her position, stood silently, watching the former heiress receive the title of Huntress.

"And last, but not least: Ruby Rose! Our silver eyed champion, who pushed back the grimm, and secured the future of Remnant!"

This time, the roars were stronger than ever, as Ruby strode to the stand, and assumed the angel's persona, puffing her chest and putting on a serious, yet gentle face.

"People of Remnant! On this day, we both celebrate for the new generation of huntsmen that will join their ranks, and yet, for all the joy, some things cannot be left unrecognized." She gave a small pause, before clearing her throat and continuing.

"Our beloved headmaster, Ozpin, had passed away. Even more than that, the moon, which watched over us, and the four maidens, who governed the sacred powers meant to protect the people, have all but vanished, forever."

Once more, silence ensued in the crowd, but Ruby didn't wait long, and continued.

"But! We can never lose our hope! In each other! In the world! In warriors that protect all of us! Hope, is the most important thing Ozpin has left for us in his wake. He knew, more than everybody, that without Hope, we will never be here! And so, I implore you, don't despair! Even if our guardians have failed, that doesn't mean we shall too! WE ARE THE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF REMNANT! AND WE WILL NEVER DIE OUT!"

At that moment, the people went wild, and Yang could feel the enormous amounts of hope everyone felt. In a way, Glynda was right, and this WAS what everyone needed then.

However, no one expected what was about to come.

Weiss got up, and started pacing to the podium again. Some raised an eyebrow, and curiosity was felt in the air, as the former heiress came up to Ruby, and the two faced each other.

"Ruby... I want you to know, that for all that we've been through, you were the one ray of light that helped me find my path. For that, I will be with you forever."

"Weiss..."

"But, recent events made me think a little. We've been together for so long, and yet, for all that time, only the past four months or so have some actual content in them."

"..." Ruby became tense, her heart beating faster and faster, not sure what to say at that point, until Weiss kneeled before her, and reached out to her pocket, pulling a small, diamond box. She opened it, revealing a quite expensive looking ring, with an opal etched to the middle. The ring itself was made of pure gold, with silver etchings all over it, creating the shapes of rings.

"Ruby Rose, Will you do me the honors, of becoming my wife?"

A whopping whole minute passed, as Ruby was both surprised, happy, shocked, and overwhelmed, all at the same time. After a few seconds of not responding, Weiss' face began to twist in worry, and Ruby, noticing this, snapped out of her catatonic state, and hugged her lover, crying tears of joy.

"Yes! Yes, of course I will!" She cried out, and Weiss' face teared up, for the first time in years.

"So she finally did it, huh?..." Yang said to Blake from the sidelines. Unlike Weiss, Yang decided to be more discreet about the whole thing, and proposed to Blake about a month back, in each other's intimacy, with Blake accepting.

"I guess this new kind of hope is already here..." Blake mused, and the two kissed, looking at the sky.

"And these new flames of hope will burn on, for as long as we live and more..." Yang concluded.

The cycle was broken.

Remnant was free.


End file.
